Under current law, the State Pension age is due to rise from 67 to 68 between 2044 and 2046.

However, it’s been shown that new Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) documents assume the increase will instead happen between 2037 and 2039 as part of the Government’s current policy position for its economic forecasts.

If that timetable were ultimately adopted, the increase would come around seven years earlier than current legislation provides.

Who could be affected?

An earlier increase could affect around five million people, particularly those who are currently aged between 49 and 55.

Instead of becoming eligible for their State Pension at 67, they could have to wait until they turn 68.

For many people, that would mean working for another year or relying on other sources of income before becoming eligible for the State Pension.

Why is an earlier rise being discussed?

The OBR says delaying the increase would add significantly to Government spending.

Its latest documents state: “If the state pension age were to rise to 68 in 2044-45 in line with legislation, rather than the Government’s stated policy that the rise to 68 will happen in 2037-39, this would cost an average additional £6 billion in today’s terms in each of the years the state pension age rise is delayed.”

Ministers say no decision has been made

Despite the OBR’s assumption, ministers have stressed that the Government has not announced any change to the law.

Responding to reports about the OBR documents, Pensions Minister Torsten Bell said on X that the reports were ‘just wrong’. He added: “We have not announced any change of policy – and certainly not this specific one. There is currently a review of the State Pension age underway – that is simply because legislation (the 2014 Act) requires the Secretary of State to conduct such reviews on a fairly regular basis.”

He also referred to previous changes to the State Pension age, saying: “If you want to see what we’ve actually said – not least about the 2011 disaster of raising the State Pension age in a rush that gave some people only 5yrs notice – you can read the (long) evidence I gave to the Select Committee recently.”

This story is just wrong https://t.co/RJkBkgcf98

— Torsten Bell (@TorstenBell) July 14, 2026

Experts urge caution

The prospect of bringing forward the increase has prompted concern from experts, who warn many older people are already struggling to remain in work until they reach State Pension age.

Dr Carole Easton OBE, Chief Executive of the Centre for Ageing Better, said: “It is extremely worrying if the Treasury is thinking of making the next rise in state pension age in just over a decade’s time.

“The government needs to be very careful about making this change.

“During the rise to 66, it doubled the poverty rates for 64-year-olds.

“A recent parliamentary committee report warned the impact is likely to be even bigger now for the current rise to 67.”

She said it was difficult to see the case for accelerating the timetable: “Other than the substantial savings the Treasury will make from making people wait longer for their State Pension, it is hard to see what evidence could be used to justify introducing the next rise sooner.”

Can everyone work until 68?

Dr Easton said many people already face significant barriers to working later in life.

She said: “Working until you are 68 is very far from the norm. Only one in five people currently do so.

“It is not viable for everyone to work this long for a range of reasons – health, ageism, caring responsibilities, inflexible employers freezing many people out of work.”

She also highlighted differences in healthy life expectancy across the country.

“There are places in this country where the healthy life expectancy is more than a decade below the current state pension age.

“Progress on this issue has stalled, we cannot just assume we are all going to be living longer and healthier lives.”

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What happens next?

No legislation has yet been introduced to bring forward the increase in the State Pension age.

The Government is carrying out the latest statutory review of the State Pension age, which is required under existing legislation.

Once that review concludes, ministers will decide whether to recommend changes to the timetable before any proposal is put before Parliament.

For now, the legal position remains that the State Pension age will rise to 68 between 2044 and 2046, unless Parliament approves a change.

Winston, a whippet from Oxford, has predicted all of England’s matches correctly so far and has now made its call for this evening’s semi-final.

Shaun, Winston’s owner, said: “This is, perhaps, Winston’s boldest statement to date.

“I’m 30 – I’ve never experienced England playing in a FIFA World Cup final before.

READ MORE: Sara Cox’s BBC salary revealed amid £430,000 UK charity collapse

“His predictions have been true to form throughout the entire tournament, but here’s hoping those psychic powers have now run out.”

Shaun is hoping Winston’s powers have vanished as the psychic pooch has predicted Argentina to win and progress through to the final against Spain, causing despair among the dog’s English fans.

Winston’s predictions have become a fixture of the tournament thanks to a light-hearted campaign by Oxford PR agency Fortitude Communications, in support of The Joey Beauchamp Foundation.

Winston, the psychic dog (Image: Fortitude)

The foundation was set up in memory of former Oxford United footballer Joey Beauchamp, who died by suicide in 2022.

The charity aims to support men’s mental health across Oxfordshire.

Each year, one in four adults and one in 10 children in the UK experience mental illness, with around 165,000 people in Oxfordshire impacted—enough to fill the Kassam Stadium more than 13 times.

READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson issues warning to public ahead of Cotswolds pub event

Shaun said: “Joey’s friends and family want to create a lasting legacy in his honour.

“Mental health challenges can affect any person and can be entirely unforeseen.

“It’s very possible we’ll never know which of our loved ones are handling a particular situation unless we proactively check in.

“So, it’s worthwhile to ignite a conversation not only during this World Cup but beyond the final too.”

The results of the 2026 GP Patient Survey for NHS England were released last week containing data including how easy patients find it to contact their GP as well as reception and administration ratings.

Almost 3 million surveys were distributed by market research agency Ipsos with around 650,000 responses received in England between January and April.

READ MORE: Oxfordshire GP bosses to ‘support improvements’ after NHS survey

The public also gave their views of the ‘overall experience’ of their local GP surgery, ranking them very good, fairly good, neither good nor poor, fairly poor and very poor.

Now, the Oxford Mail has compiled a list of the 20 surgeries that received the highest percentage of very poor votes, with the national average being 4 per cent.

Technically the worst performing GP surgery in Oxfordshire was Luther Street Medical Practice in Oxford with 14 per cent of respondents calling it very poor.

Temple Cowley Surgery (Image: Google Maps)

However only 4 per cent of its patients asked filled in the survey with 55 per cent of them in fact giving it the highest grade, above the national average.

Another Oxford-based surgery, Temple Cowley, wasn’t far behind with 13 per cent saying it is very poor.

Around a quarter of those asked filled in the NHS survey for Temple Cowley (more than the national average), with 3 per cent rating it fairly poor and 12 per cent saying it’s neither good nor poor.

Representatives for both Luther Street and Temple Cowley both said there were reasons for their poor performances.

Luther Street Medical Practice (Image: Google Maps)

The spokesperson for Luther Street said: “Our patients are a unique and often vulnerable population who, like everyone else, require access to regular GP services and ongoing healthcare support.

“Many also face additional challenges that can make accessing and engaging with healthcare more difficult.”

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for Temple Cowley explained that it serves a community “with significant levels of deprivation”, with demand rising, workforce pressures and growing patient need all impacting its service.

READ MORE: Oxfordshire GP surgeries hit back after ‘disappointing’ low NHS ranking

Also performing badly were Nuffield Health Centre in Witney and Woodlands Medical Centre in Didcot, which both received 10 per cent very poor scores.

At Oak Tree Health Centre in Didcot, 8 per cent of patients thought it was very poor.

Multiple surgeries were on 3 per cent but Bampton, Long Furlong, St Clement’s and Cogges are included because the percentage of people who called them fairly poor was higher.

The full list is here:

LUTHER STREET MEDICAL PRACTICE (Luther Street, Oxford) – 14 per cent

TEMPLE COWLEY HEALTH CENTRE (Temple Rd, Oxford) – 13 per cent

WOODLANDS MEDICAL CENTRE (Woodlands Road, Didcot) – 10 per cent

NUFFIELD HEALTH CENTRE (Woodstock Road, Oxford) – 10 per cent

OAK TREE HEALTH CENTRE (Tyne Avenue, Didcot) – 8 per cent

DIDCOT HEALTH CENTRE PRACTICE (Britwell Road, Didcot) – 7 per cent

DONNINGTON MEDICAL PARTNERSHIP (Henley Avenue, Oxford) – 6 per cent

THE KEY MEDICAL PRACTICE (Exeter Close, Kidlington) – 6 per cent

MARCHAM RD FAMILY HEALTH CENTRE (Marcham Road, Abingdon) – 5 per cent

MONTGOMERY HOUSE SURGERY (Piggy Lane, Bicester) – 5 per cent

NEWBURY STREET PRACTICE (Mably Way, Wantage) – 5 per cent

THE CHARLBURY MEDICAL CENTRE (Enstone Road, Chipping Norton) – 5 per cent

EYNSHAM MEDICAL GROUP (Conduit Lane, Eynsham) – 4 per cent

BEAUMONT ELMS PRACTICE (Beaumont Street, Oxford) – 4 per cent

WINDRUSH MEDICAL PRACTICE (Welch Way, Witney) – 4 per cent

BARTLEMAS SURGERY (Manzil Way, Oxford) – 4 per cent

BAMPTON SURGERY (Landells, Bampton) – 3 per cent (20 per cent said it was fairly poor)

LONG FURLONG MEDICAL CENTRE (Loyd Close, Abingdon) – 3 per cent (11 per cent said it was fairly poor)

ST. CLEMENT’S SURGERY (Temple Street, Oxford) – 3 per cent (9 per cent said it was fairly poor)

COGGES SURGERY (Cogges Hill Road, Witney) – 3 per cent (8 per cent said it was fairly poor)