State pension change to effect people turning 66 this week | Personal Finance | Finance
The state pension age is increasing from 66 to 67, meaning some people will need to work an additional year beyond their original expectations before becoming eligible for their state pension. This change will be implemented progressively, directly affecting anyone celebrating their 66th birthday between April 6, 2026 and March 5, 2027.
State pension age represents the earliest point at which you may claim your state pension, though claiming at this age isn’t mandatory and you retain the option to defer payments until later. Since October 2020, the state pension age has been 66, but from now until March 5, 2027, each person reaching 66 may face a different state pension age depending on where they fall within the phased implementation.
The initial cohort impacted by this adjustment turned 66 in April and will begin qualifying for their state pension in May. Conversely, those reaching 66 in May must wait a further two months before accessing their state pension. State pension age based on date of birth:
State pension age according to your birthday:
- 6 April 1960 – 5 May 1960: 66 years and 1 month
- 6 May 1960 – 5 June 1960: 66 years and 2 months
- 6 June 1960 – 5 July 1960: 66 years and 3 months
- 6 July 1960 – 5 August 1960: 66 years and 4 months
- 6 August 1960 – 5 September 1960: 66 years and 5 months
- 6 September 1960 – 5 October 1960: 66 years and 6 months
- 6 October 1960 – 5 November 1960: 66 years and 7 months
- 6 November 1960 – 5 December 1960: 66 years and 8 months
- 6 December 1960 – 5 January 1961: 66 years and 9 months
- 6 January 1961 – 5 February 1961: 66 years and 10 months
- 6 February 1961 – 5 March 1961: 66 years and 11 months
- 6 March 1961 – 5 April 1977: 67 years
Anyone born after 5 March 1961 will reach state pension age at 67. The Gov.uk website features a state pension age calculator enabling people to check their minimum state pension age.
The state pension age remains subject to ongoing review, with additional increases anticipated during the 2040s. These adjustments aim to maintain alignment with UK life expectancy statistics, ensuring everyone can spend roughly the same proportion of their lifetime in retirement.
Addressing the Work and Pensions Committee on March 18 , Pensions Minister Torsten Bell clarified that modifications to the state pension age are designed to reflect increasing life expectancy figures across the UK, guaranteeing each generation can spend “at least a third” of their life in retirement.
He explained: “At the point which the state pension age was first introduced, only about half of people were expected to even get to state pension age. It’s 93% now. We want to make sure we have a sustainable state pension in the longer term.”
Nevertheless, he acknowledged that increasing the state pension age “never feels like an easy decision”.
Anyone impacted by adjustments to their State Pension age should receive advance notification from the DWP via letter. Receiving this information ahead of time enables people to adjust their retirement plans accordingly.
At present, the new state pension stands at £241.30 per week, though this full amount applies only to those who meet the 35 qualifying years requirement. A qualifying year refers to any year during which you either made National Insurance contributions, received National Insurance credits, or purchased voluntary contributions.
Those with fewer than 35 qualifying years on their National Insurance record will receive only a proportion of the state pension rate, while people with under 10 qualifying years won’t qualify for any new state pension whatsoever.
Research conducted by Royal London in 2023 revealed that around half of the 3.4 million people receiving the new state pension were entitled to claim the complete amount.
