
Around one million pensioners are paying income tax at rates of 40% or above, according to figures obtained from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
The total number of people who have reached state pension age and are paying any income tax at all has risen by around two million in four years, from 6.7 million in 2021-22 to 8.8 million in 2025-26, according to the data, obtained following a freedom of information (FOI) request by Sir Steve Webb, a former pensions minister.