@BigDave I have no doubt that the state pension age will rise in the future, but personally I can’t see any announcements about that happening on 31st October. Previous and currently planned increases to the state pension age have always had around 10 years advance notice and I’m sure that they will continue to adopt that approach, especially as one of the last changes, announced in 2018, doesn’t come into effect until 2028.
There is already a stated aim to raise the age that people can draw from private pensions, so that it is 10 years below that persons state pension age. I retired at 54, was able to start drawing from a private pension from 55 but won’t get my state pension until 67. In future, I wouldn’t have been able to touch any private pensions until 57 (58 for those whose state retirement date is now 68).
There would therefore be no immediate benefit to our current dire financial situation by announcing further changes now, but it would be a vote loser that, given their polling position, they will be keen to avoid. No point in losing even more votes over something that gives no benefit for 10 years.
I have told my children (both in their 20’s) to assume that by the time they retire the state pension age will probably be 70 and to save as hard as they can in pension schemes (which they are both doing) so that their state pension will only represent a small proportion of their retirement income, in order that they don’t have to work until state pension age. That approach worked for me, but you have to have planned for that right from the start of your working life. Sadly, most people leave it far too late and are therefore reliant on the state pension which, as you say, will get further and further away.