An adequate income in later life: How do we achieve this for people who rely on the State Pension?

With 1 in 8 older people in the UK receiving only the State Pension and state entitlements, understanding how much people receive and how far it goes is critical.

This briefing explores State Pension data, and shares responses to our recent survey with older people. It highlights the realities of receiving the State Pension, which varies greatly – many people do not receive a full State Pension for a variety of reasons. Our research confirms what we hear on our helpline and from the community organisations we provide grants to – many older people are managing on extremely tight budgets, and the idea of achieving ‘adequacy’ feels out of reach.

This work aims to contribute to ongoing discussions about income adequacy, and offers recommendations for addressing the issue for current pensioners. Key to this is the need for a cross-party review to agree what an adequate income is in later life, and to determine how the UK Government can help those reliant on the State Pension to achieve it.