Citizens advance
Think tank: Social Market Foundation
Author(s): Jamie Gollings; Barney Dowling
June 9, 2026
This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation examines a state alternative to the bank of Mum and Dad.
The Citizens Advance would give people a choice – receive a lump sum now in exchange for postponing the point at which they start receiving their state pension. Only those who had garnered 10 years’ worth of National Insurance credits would be eligible.
Britain is a place where wealth matters, and personal and family wealth levels can alter the course of people’s lives. As the Great Wealth Transfer takes place, the sense of injustice around wealth inequality may only therefore increase without government action.
The idea of the Citizens Advance originated from Andrew Lewin, the MP for Welwyn Hatfield, who has continued to champion it and been a sounding board throughout this research.
