By Clare Yates
4 min read
The next major shift in the UK State Pension system starts in 2026, bringing a gradual rise in the age at which people can claim. The increase from 66 to 67 has been planned for several years, but 2026 is when the transition formally begins.
How the State Pension age will rise
From April 2026, the age at which you can claim your State Pension will start increasing from 66 to 67. The change won’t happen overnight, instead, it will be phased in over two years and completed by 2028.
Your exact State Pension age depends on your date of birth. This makes it essential to check your individual entitlement date rather than relying on assumptions or outdated information.
Timetable for the State Pension age increase from 66 to 67 | |
Date of birth | State Pension age |
6 Apr 1960 – 5 May 1960 | 66 years + 1 month |
6 May 1960 – 5 Jun 1960 | 66 years + 2 months |
6 Jun 1960 – 5 Jul 1960 | 66 years + 3 months |
6 Jul 1960 – 5 Aug 1960 | 66 years + 4 months |
6 Aug 1960 – 5 Sep 1960 | 66 years + 5 months |
6 Sep 1960 – 5 Oct 1960 | 66 years + 6 months |
6 Oct 1960 – 5 Nov 1960 | 66 years + 8 months |
6 Nov 1960 – 5 Dec 1960 | 66 years + 9 month |
6 Dec 1960 – 5 Jan 1961 | 66 years + 10 months |
6 Jan 1961 – 5 Feb 1961 | 66 years + 11 months |
6 Feb 1961 – 5 Mar 1961 | 66 years + 12 months |
6 Mar 1961 – 5 Apr 1977* | 67 years |
Source: Government State Pension age timetable
*For people born after 5 April 1969 but before 6 April 1977, under the Pensions Act 2007, State Pension age was already 67.
What this means for your retirement planning
A later State Pension age can have a real impact on income planning. If you were expecting to claim at 66, even a delay of a few months may mean relying on your savings, or workplace or personal pensions. It could also mean delaying retirement altogether, or perhaps transitioning to retirement with a year of part-time work.
If you’re in your early to mid-60s in particular, reviewing your retirement plans now can help you plan for unexpected income gaps. Checking your State Pension age and forecast will show when your payments will start and how much you’re likely to receive.
Why is the change happening?
The rise from 66 to 67 is largely about keeping the State Pension system sustainable as people live longer and spend more years drawing it. The government is also reviewing the State Pension age to understand how longer life expectancy, changes in the workforce and the rising cost of the State Pension should shape future increases.
Spending is expected to reach around £146 billion in 2025/26 and rise to an estimated £169 billion by 2029/30, so there’s growing pressure to make sure the system remains affordable as the population ages.
Raising the State Pension age is one way the government aims to balance these costs while still protecting the value of payments. There’s also a fairness element: without changes, a smaller working‑age population would be supporting a growing number of retirees for longer periods.
Will the State Pension age change again?
Regular reviews are now built into the system so the State Pension age can be adjusted in line with demographic and economic trends. The next rise is already in legislation, taking the State Pension age from 67 to 68 between 2044 and 2046.
However, that will be reviewed as the government looks again at life expectancy and the long‑term cost of the system. There’s ongoing debate about whether the move to 68 could happen sooner, but at this point, no changes beyond the 2026–2028 increase have been confirmed.
A key protection is the government’s commitment to give people at least ten years’ notice before any change takes effect. That should avoid the kind of short‑notice disruption experienced by many ‘WASPI’ women born in the 1950s.
Early analysis shows what a faster rise could mean. Phoenix Insights estimates that bringing the increase to 68 forward could delay retirement plans for around 3 million people, which is one reason the government may be taking time to reassess the timetable.