King's Speech 2026: Welfare and pensions

Approximate time to read: 9 minutes

This briefing explores what announcements the government could make in the King’s Speech on 13 May 2026 about welfare and pensions.

No flagship welfare- or pensions-related legislation is expected to be announced in the 2026 King’s Speech.

On welfare, the government may seek to reform the personal independence payment (PIP) in the forthcoming parliamentary session. In the previous session, the government attempted to make changes to PIP as part of the Universal Credit Act 2025. However, it later dropped its proposals following significant opposition in the House of Commons. The government subsequently established a review of PIP, led by Sir Stephen Timms, minister for social security and disability, which is expected to report by autumn 2026. The government has also said it may legislate to reform the child maintenance system.

On pensions, the government secured passage of the Pensions Schemes Act 2026 at the end of the previous session. Therefore, no further legislation on private pensions is expected in the King’s Speech. However, there are several reviews ongoing into other areas of pensions policy that may recommend legislation in future. A statutory review of the state pension age is currently ongoing, and the government has established the Pensions Commission to explore wider issues of pensions adequacy. Both reviews are not expected to report until 2027.

This briefing has been prepared to assist members of the House of Lords in the debates on the King’s Speech. It draws upon material from the public domain and does not constitute official information about the government’s intentions or provide a complete list of bills to be announced.