Last Updated on 4 minutes ago by TodayWhy Editorial
Updated 21 October 2026. The state pension age is rising from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028. Your exact date depends on your date of birth.
What is the state pension age? It is the earliest age at which you can claim the UK state pension. It is currently 66 for people born before 6 April 1960. For people born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961 it is rising month by month toward 67. Anyone born from 6 March 1961 to 5 April 1977 has a state pension age of 67. A further rise to 68 is legislated for between 2044 and 2046. That is the short answer. The rest is the timetable, how to check your own date, and why the age is going up.
What is the state pension age now?
The state pension age is set by law and depends only on your date of birth. It is the same for men and women. As of October 2026 the rules are:
- Born before 6 April 1960: state pension age is 66. Most of this group have already reached it.
- Born 6 April 1960 to 5 March 1961: state pension age is between 66 years and 1 month and 66 years and 11 months, depending on the exact month of birth. The first people in this group reached state pension age in May 2026.
- Born 6 March 1961 to 5 April 1977: state pension age is 67. The move to 67 is completed in March 2028.
- Born on or after 6 April 1977: the legislated state pension age is 68, phased in between 2044 and 2046.
You can check your exact date on the gov.uk state pension age calculator. The tool also shows your Pension Credit qualifying age. The state pension is not paid automatically. You must claim it. The forecast service on gov.uk shows both your age and your estimated amount. Our piece on the new state pension over £13,000 covers the rate from April 2027.
The timetable from 66 to 67
The rise from 66 to 67 is phased. People born in the same year do not all reach state pension age on the same date. The Pensions Act 2014 set the timetable. The first people affected were those born in April 1960. Their state pension age is 66 years and 1 month, so they reach it between 6 May and 5 June 2026. Each subsequent month of birth adds one more month. By the time you reach people born in February 1961 the state pension age is 66 years and 11 months. Anyone born on or after 6 March 1961 has a state pension age of 67.
| Date of birth | State pension age | Date reached |
|---|---|---|
| Before 6 April 1960 | 66 | Already reached |
| 6 April 1960 – 5 May 1960 | 66 years 1 month | May–June 2026 |
| 6 May 1960 – 5 June 1960 | 66 years 2 months | July–August 2026 |
| 6 June 1960 – 5 July 1960 | 66 years 3 months | September–October 2026 |
| 6 July 1960 – 5 August 1960 | 66 years 4 months | November–December 2026 |
| 6 August 1960 – 5 September 1960 | 66 years 5 months | January–February 2027 |
| 6 September 1960 – 5 October 1960 | 66 years 6 months | March–April 2027 |
| 6 October 1960 – 5 November 1960 | 66 years 7 months | May–June 2027 |
| 6 November 1960 – 5 December 1960 | 66 years 8 months | July–August 2027 |
| 6 December 1960 – 5 January 1961 | 66 years 9 months | September–October 2027 |
| 6 January 1961 – 5 February 1961 | 66 years 10 months | November–December 2027 |
| 6 February 1961 – 5 March 1961 | 66 years 11 months | January–February 2028 |
| 6 March 1961 – 5 April 1977 | 67 | From March 2028 |
If you were born on the 31st of a month and the month in which you reach state pension age has only 30 days, you are treated as reaching it on the 30th. The official tables are on legislation.gov.uk and summarised by Age UK and Which?.
Why the state pension age is rising
The state pension age has been rising for more than a decade. Until 2010 it was 60 for women and 65 for men. The Pensions Act 1995 equalised women’s state pension age with men’s, completed in 2018. The Pensions Act 2011 brought the rise to 66 forward to 2018–2020. The Pensions Act 2014 brought the rise to 67 forward to 2026–2028. The reasons given by successive governments are longer life expectancy and the cost of the state pension. People are living longer, so the period spent drawing a pension has grown. The cost of that longer period is borne by current taxpayers and by National Insurance contributions.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies has noted that the rise from 66 to 67 affects people born on or after 6 April 1960 and is phased through to early 2028. The same analysis points out that the increase reduces the number of years people can expect to spend in receipt of the state pension, relative to the gains from longer life expectancy. Whether that trade-off is fair is a political question. The arithmetic is set by statute. The government has also said it will give at least ten years’ notice of any further change. That principle has been restated in successive reviews.
The rise to 68
Under current legislation the state pension age will rise from 67 to 68 between 2044 and 2046. That timetable was set by the Pensions Act 2007, as amended. It affects people born on or after 6 April 1977. There is a phased band for people born between 6 April 1977 and 5 April 1978, similar to the current 66-to-67 phase. Anyone born on or after 6 April 1978 has a legislated state pension age of 68.
The timetable can change. The law requires a review of the state pension age at least every six years. The 2023 review, led by Baroness Neville-Rolfe, recommended bringing the rise to 68 forward to 2041–2043. The government did not adopt that recommendation. It kept the 2044–2046 timetable and said a further review would follow. A third review is under way. Reports have suggested the rise could be brought forward to 2037–2039, but the Treasury has said the law remains 2044–2046. Any earlier date would require new legislation and would have to respect the ten-year notice principle. For anyone born after 1977 the exact date is therefore not fixed beyond the current statute.
How to check and claim
The only reliable way to know your state pension age is to use the official calculator on gov.uk. It asks for your date of birth and sex and returns the date you reach state pension age. The same site has a forecast service that shows how much you are on track to receive and whether you can increase it by filling gaps in your National Insurance record. You need a Government Gateway account to use the forecast. If you are already receiving the state pension or have deferred it, you cannot use the forecast service; you contact the Pension Service instead.
You must claim the state pension. It is not paid automatically. You can claim up to four months before you reach state pension age. The claim can be made online, by phone, or by post. If you defer, the weekly rate increases. Whether deferral is worthwhile depends on your health, your other income, and how long you expect to draw the pension. The rules are different for the new state pension and the basic state pension. The forecast or the Pension Service will tell you which system you are under.
What the rise means in practice
For people in the transitional group the practical effect is a delay of between one and eleven months. That delay is not trivial. It means one to eleven fewer monthly payments at the start of retirement, and it can affect when other benefits start or stop. Pension Credit qualifying age tracks the state pension age, so the same delay applies there. Some working-age benefits stop at state pension age. The exact interaction depends on the benefit. If you are close to the transitional dates it is worth checking both your state pension age and your entitlement to other support before you assume the old rules still apply.
For people born after March 1961 the state pension age is simply 67. There is no further phasing until the rise to 68. Planning for that date means checking the forecast, considering whether voluntary National Insurance contributions are worthwhile, and deciding whether a workplace or private pension can bridge any gap between stopping work and reaching state pension age. The full new state pension from April 2027 is expected to be about £13,036 a year, as explained in our article on the new state pension over £13,000. That figure is the full rate. Most people receive less.
What happens if you work past state pension age
Reaching state pension age does not force you to stop working. There is no default retirement age in the UK. You can continue in employment and claim the state pension at the same time, or you can defer the pension. If you work and claim, your earnings do not reduce the state pension. They can affect means-tested benefits such as Pension Credit and Housing Benefit. National Insurance contributions stop at state pension age, even if you continue to work.
Deferring the state pension increases the weekly rate. For the new state pension the increase is roughly 1% for every nine weeks of deferral, which works out at about 5.8% for a full year. Whether that is a good trade depends on how long you expect to live and on your other income. The Pension Service can explain the deferral rules for your case. There is no obligation to defer.
How the age interacts with other benefits
Several benefits change at state pension age. Pension Credit becomes available once you reach it, provided your income is low enough. Working-age benefits such as Universal Credit generally stop. The exact rules depend on the benefit and on whether you are in a couple. Mixed-age couples face particular rules. The practical step is to check both your state pension age and your benefit entitlement before the date arrives.
The state pension age is the single most searched pension question in the UK data we track. The answer is personal: it depends on the month you were born. The rules are public, the calculator is free, and the claim is not automatic. That is the practical core of the question.
The short answer
What is the state pension age? It is 66 for people born before 6 April 1960, rising month by month to 67 for people born between April 1960 and March 1961, and 67 for people born from March 1961 to April 1977. A further rise to 68 is legislated for 2044–2046. You must claim the state pension; it is not paid automatically. Check your exact date on gov.uk. The age is rising because of longer life expectancy and the cost of the pension. The next review could change the timetable for 68, but any change requires legislation and notice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the state pension age?
It is the earliest age you can claim the UK state pension. It is currently 66 and is rising to 67 between 2026 and 2028, depending on your date of birth.
When does the state pension age rise to 67?
The rise is phased between May 2026 and March 2028. People born from 6 March 1961 have a state pension age of 67.
Will the state pension age rise to 68?
Yes, under current legislation, between 2044 and 2046. The timetable could change after a future review, but any earlier date would need new legislation.
Do I have to claim the state pension?
Yes. It is not paid automatically. You can claim up to four months before you reach state pension age.
Is the state pension age the same for men and women?
Yes. It was equalised in 2018.
How do I check my state pension age?
Use the calculator on gov.uk. You will need your date of birth. The same site has a forecast service for the amount.