My birthday falls in July, and I will celebrate my 55th birthday in 2028 which coincides with when the government plans to defer access to personal pensions to age 57. It seems highly discriminatory that I have to wait until my 57th birthday to access my personal pension whereas someone born on the 5th April, just 3 months earlier, can access their pension at 55.

Considering this in light of recent budget announcements to bring pensions into the IHT arena, this seems even more unjust as that means that my ability to spend those funds is reduced and those funds could suffer significant additional taxation.

I propose removing the link between personal and state pensions and allowing everyone to access their pensions at 55. This means pensions will still remain an attractive savings vehicle for retirement but also allows people to enjoy the fruits of their labour and will provide a greater boost to the economy via released spending power.

Another option may be to consider a phased introduction to deferring personal pension access to 57 which would respect the plans of those nearing their retirement and would be consistent with previous deferrals of retirement age which were phased in.

It also means that those who have diligently saved for retirement can enjoy the fruits of their labour to do things which may be reliant on good health (like climb mountains).

This issue goes beyond my personal story, impacting countless individuals in our society facing the same barrier. Let's address this unfair policy and introduce a phased deferment of pension access to 57. Because fairness should be the cornerstone of our retirement policies, and no one should be penalised for the month of their birth. Please sign this petition.