Karmactive Staff
The UK State Pension age will increase from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028. This change will impact millions of people across the country, especially those born after April 1960.
Rather than changing overnight, the increase will happen gradually. People born between April 6, 1960, and March 5, 1961, will fall into a transition period. Someone born on April 6, 1960, will reach their State Pension age of 66 years and 1 month on May 6, 2026. Those born on March 5, 1961, will reach their State Pension age of 67 on February 5, 2028.
This means many people will not get their pension right after turning 66. Instead, they’ll need to wait until they’re 66 plus a specific number of months, pushing back their first payment date.
This change stems from the Pensions Act 2014, which moved the increase forward by eight years. For younger people, the wait is even longer – anyone born after April 5, 1977, must wait until 67 to claim their State Pension.
A further rise to age 68 is already scheduled between 2044 and 2046, though this timeline might change after future government reviews.
A history of pension age changes
The State Pension has seen several major changes over the decades. When it was first introduced in 1948, men received it at 65 and women at 60. This remained unchanged until the 1995 Pensions Act, which started the process of equalizing women’s pension age with men’s.
Between 2010 and 2018, women’s State Pension age gradually increased from 60 to 65, matching men’s. Then between 2018 and 2020, the pension age for both men and women rose from 65 to the current 66.
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Why is the pension age increasing?
The main reason for raising the State Pension age is to keep the system affordable. When the modern pension began in 1948, people generally lived shorter lives. Today, people live much longer, spending more years receiving pension payments, which puts financial pressure on the system.
Life expectancy trends play a key role in these decisions. Data shows that healthy life expectancy has actually decreased in recent years, with drops of 1.7 years for men and 1.9 years for women in England. This raises concerns about working longer if those extra years are spent in poorer health.
How much will you receive?
From April 2025, the full new State Pension will be £230.25 per week (about £11,973 yearly), while the full basic State Pension will be £176.45 per week (roughly £9,175 yearly).
The government has promised to keep the “Triple Lock”, ensuring payments increase yearly by the highest of earnings growth, inflation, or 2.5%. This helps protect pensioners’ incomes as costs rise.
To get any State Pension, you need at least 10 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions, and 35 years for the full amount. If you have gaps in your record, you might be able to make voluntary contributions to boost your future payments.
Planning ahead
With these changes coming, planning for retirement is crucial. Financial experts suggest:
- Checking your State Pension forecast on the GOV.UK website
- Reviewing your National Insurance record for any gaps
- Building additional private pension savings to supplement your State Pension
Everyone affected by the change will get a letter from the DWP well before their new State Pension age, giving them time to prepare.
The Personal Allowance for income tax will stay at £12,570 for 2025/26. If your only income is the State Pension, you won’t pay tax. However, those with other income sources may need to pay tax on their total income. These pension age changes reflect the ongoing challenge of balancing budget constraints with providing adequate support for retirees as our population advances in age. Some people are responding with alternative approaches to retirement, while others are making early claims due to concerns about future changes.
