The State Pension age is set to rise gradually from 66 to 67 between April 2026 and 2028, but only those born after certain dates will be affected
Changes to the State Pension age are set to kick in next year, potentially disrupting your retirement plans. According to the official State Pension age timetable, the government has confirmed that the State Pension age will rise from 66 to 67 for both men and women.
The State Pension age is the youngest age at which an individual can start receiving money from the State Pension. This means your retirement age might vary if you’re planning to receive payments from a personal or workplace pension, which may have a different policy compared to the State Pension.
The changes to the State Pension age will be rolled out from April 2026, with the effects being felt between then and 2028. However, there’s also a further increase from 67 to 68 planned to be introduced between 2044 and 2046.
But it’s not all doom and gloom – not everyone nearing the State Pension age will be hit by the changes, and whether the change applies next April largely hinges on your date of birth.
Birth dates affected by the State Pension age change
According to the current State Pension timetable, here’s when people can expect to reach their retirement age based on their birthdates:
April 6, 1960 – May 5, 1960
66 years and one month
May 6, 1960 – June 5, 1960
66 years and two months
May 6, 1960 – June 5, 1960
66 years and three months
July 6, 1960 – August 5, 1960
66 years and four months
August 6, 1960 – September 5, 1960
66 years and five months
September 6, 1960 – October 5, 1960
66 years and six months
September 6, 1960 – October 5, 1960
66 years and seven months
November 6, 1960 – December 5, 1960
66 years and eight months
December 6, 1960 – January 5, 1961
66 years and nine months
January 6, 1961 – February 5, 1961
66 years and 10 months
February 6, 1961 – March 5, 1961
66 years and 11 months
March 6, 1961 – April 5, 1977
67
Current State Pension rates
The amount you receive through the new State Pension can vary greatly and is based on your National Insurance contributions record. The full rate of the new State Pension is £230.25 a week – however, you may get more or less depending on if you were contracted out, how many qualifying National Insurance years you have, and whether you paid into the Additional State Pension.
Full details of this can be found here. Currently, you’ll be able to claim the New State Pension when you reach the State Pension age if you’re either a man born on or after April 6, 1951, or a woman born on or after April 6, 1953.