State Pension change this year to affect DWP pension payments | Personal Finance | Finance

A major change to the State Pension this year will affect when people can start claiming payments from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Currently, both men and women can claim their State Pension when they turn 66, but this is due to rise from April up to age 67. While the age increase won’t happen instantly, and will instead be gradually phased in over a two year period between April 2026 and April 2028, it will impact people who have a 66th birthday during this time frame.

The change means that anyone with a birthday between April 6, 1960 and March 5, 1961 will still be eligible to claim their State Pension at age 66 – but not everyone will be able to do so immediately.

As the age increase is being phased in, people whose birthdays fall between these dates cannot claim their pension immediately after their 66th birthday and will instead have to wait a specified number of months, depending on when they were born.

It means that some people will be closer to age 66 when they get their State Pension, while others will be only a month or two away from their 67th birthday by the time they are allowed to claim their first payment.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) explained: “The Pensions Act 2014 brought the increase in the State Pension age from 66 to 67 forward by 8 years. The State Pension age for men and women will now increase to 67 between 2026 and 2028.

“The Government also changed the way in which the increase in State Pension age is phased so that rather than reaching State Pension age on a specific date, people born between April 6, 1960 and March 5, 1961 will reach their State Pension age at 66 years and the specified number of months.

“For people born after April 5, 1969, but before April 6, 1977, under the Pensions Act 2007, State Pension age was already 67.”

The DWP has set out the following timetable for the increase in State Pension age from 66 to 67, affecting when people with birthdays between April 6, 1960, and March 5, 1961 can claim their pension:

• Born between April 6, 1960, and May 5, 1960 – Reach State Pension age at 66 years and 1 month
• Born between May 6, 1960 – June 5, 1960- Reach State Pension age at 66 years and 2 months
• Born between June 6, 1960 – July 5, 1960- Reach State Pension age at 66 years and 3 months
• Born between July 6, 1960 – August 5, 1960 – Reach State Pension age at 66 years and 4 months
• Born between August 6, 1960 – September 5, 1960 – Reach State Pension age at 66 years and 5 months
• Born between September 6, 1960 – October 5, 1960 – Reach State Pension age at 66 years and 6 months
• Born between October 6, 1960 – November 5, 1960 – Reach State Pension age at 66 years and 7 months
• Born between November 6, 1960 – December 5, 1960 – Reach State Pension age at 66 years and 8 months
• Born between December 6, 1960 – January 5, 1961 – Reach State Pension age at 66 years and 9 months
• Born between January 6, 1961 – February 5, 1961 – Reach State Pension age at 66 years and 10 months
• Born between February 6, 1961 – March 5, 1961 – Reach State Pension age at 66 years and 11 months
• Born between March 6, 1961 – April 5, 1977 – Reach State Pension age at 67

Everyone born after April 5, 1977, will get their State Pension at age 67, although a further rise to age 68 is planned between 2044 and 2046.

But the government could bring the age increase to 68 forward earlier than planned as part of a newly announced review into the State Pension age meaning younger generations face an even longer wait to get their first payment.

The review comes amid concerns that adults aren’t saving enough into private pensions for their retirement and will be £800 poorer by 2050.