UK State Pension Age: Current Rules, Increases & Upcoming Changes

What Is the State Pension Age?

Your State Pension age marks the earliest point you can claim support from the UK State Pension, and it plays a key role in planning your retirement. It is:

Set by law and decided by the UK Government
Based mainly on your date of birth
The same for men and women under current rules

It’s important to remember that your State Pension age is not the same as your workplace or personal pension age. Many private pensions can be taken earlier (currently from age 55), although this is not a compulsory retirement age. You can also carry on working after you reach State Pension age if you wish.

The amount you receive is based on your National Insurance (NI) record. In most cases, you’ll need at least 10 qualifying years for any State Pension, and 35 qualifying years for the full new State Pension.

The Current State Pension Age in the UK

Under current legislation, the state pension age in the UK is 66 for both men and women. If you’ve already reached 66, you can usually claim your State Pension now (or may already be receiving it). If you’re below 66, your own State Pension age may be 66, 67 or 68, depending on your date of birth.

Because the rules are tied to exact dates of birth and phased increases, working out your State Pension age manually can be confusing. The Government’s online calculator uses your details to apply the correct timetable automatically, so you can see the exact age and the date you’ll qualify to claim.

Upcoming State Pension Age Changes (Including 2026)

A planned state pension age increase has already been set out in UK law. According to the current timetable, the next change begins in 2026:

The State Pension age will start rising from 66 to 67 between 6 May 2026 and 6 April 2028.
A further increase, from 67 to 68, is currently planned for 2044 to 2046.

If you were born between 6 April 1960 and 5 April 1977, the increase to 67 is likely to affect you. If you were born after 5 April 1977, your State Pension age may be 68, based on the current legislative timetable.

There is also ongoing discussion about whether the rise to 68 could be introduced earlier, though no decision has been made. Any change would require further government legislation.

Why the State Pension Age Is Increasing

Successive governments have argued that a State Pension age rise is necessary to keep the system fair and financially sustainable. There are three main reasons behind this:

People are living longer
When the modern State Pension was first introduced, most people drew it for only a short period. Today, life expectancy has increased, and many people now spend 20 years or more in retirement.
The cost of the State Pension is rising
The State Pension is protected by measures such as the “triple lock”, which usually increases payments each year. As the retired population grows, this means the overall cost of providing the State Pension takes up a larger share of public spending.
Balancing generations
Raising the State Pension age is intended to share costs more fairly between current pensioners and younger workers who fund State Pension payments through taxes and National Insurance. However, charities and campaign groups highlight that working longer can be difficult for some people, especially those in poorer health or in manual roles.

Government Reviews of the State Pension Age

Under the Pensions Act 2014, the government must carry out a formal review of the State Pension age at least once every six years. These reviews look at:

Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy
The affordability of the State Pension
Wider economic and demographic trends
The impact of changes on different groups of people

The 2017 and 2023 reviews

An independent review in 2017 recommended that the State Pension age should rise to 68 between 2037 and 2039. A later review, published in March 2023, confirmed the planned increase to 67 by 2028 but decided not to bring forward the rise to 68 yet.

The 2025 review In July 2025, the Government launched a third review to examine whether the existing timetable remains appropriate, based on the latest life expectancy and economic data. A publication date has not yet been confirmed, and any recommendations are expected to shape policy decisions later in the 2020s

How Future State Pension Age Rises Could Affect You

Understanding how a future state pension age rise might affect you can help you plan with more confidence. Below are a few scenarios to illustrate the impact:

If you’re in your late 50s or early 60s, your State Pension age is likely to be 66 or 67. The 2026–2028 increase may affect you directly if you were born after 5 April 1960. You might need to work, or rely on other income, for an extra year before State Pension payments begin.

If you’re in your late 40s or early 50s, under current rules, you may be due to receive your State Pension at 67 or 68. Depending on the outcome of the current review, that 68 date could, in time, be brought forward, meaning you have longer to wait.

If you’re in your 30s or younger, the age is currently set at 68 but further rises in the future are possible. For younger savers, private and workplace pensions may therefore play a bigger role.

Whatever your age, you may want to think about:

Building up your workplace or personal pension so you have more flexibility over when to retire
Checking your National Insurance record to make sure you’re on track for the full State Pension
Considering how long you might realistically want, or be able to work

How to Check Your State Pension Age

The simplest way to confirm your own government state pension age is to use the official State Pension age calculator.

Step 1: Use the online State Pension age calculator

You’ll be asked to enter your date of birth and your gender. The calculator will then show:

Your State Pension age under current legislation
The exact date you’ll reach that age

If you are based in Northern Ireland, a similar calculator is available on the NI Direct website, which follows the same rules.

Step 2: Check your State Pension forecast

Next, it’s worth using the State Pension forecast service to see:

How much State Pension you’re currently on track to receive
Whether you have gaps in your National Insurance record
Options for filling those gaps, such as paying voluntary NI contributions

Seeing both your State Pension age and your likely State Pension amount side by side can make it easier to plan when and how you plan to retire.

State Pension Age FAQs

Is the State Pension age changing in 2026?

Yes. Under current law, the State Pension age change in 2026 will see an increase from 66 to 67. The rise begins on 6 May 2026 and will be phased in until 6 April 2028. The exact date it affects you depends on your date of birth, so it’s important to check using the government website.

Why is the State Pension age increasing?

The State Pension age in the UK is rising mainly because people are living longer on average, and the cost of providing the State Pension has grown as a result. Reviews also consider fairness between generations and the long-term affordability of the system.

When will the next State Pension age rise happen?

The next legislated State Pension age rise is from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028. After that, the law currently says the new State Pension age will increase from 67 to 68 between 2044 and 2046, although this could change depending on future government decisions.

Will the government increase the State Pension age again?

It’s possible. The latest Government State Pension age review is looking at whether the existing timetable is appropriate. Earlier reviews have suggested bringing the increase to 68 forward, but no decision has been made yet. Any change would need new legislation to pass through Parliament.

What is the new State Pension age for men and women?

For now, the age for both men and women is 66, rising to 67 between 2026 and 2028, and then to 68 between 2044 and 2046 under current rules. There’s no longer a different State Pension age for men and women.

How does my date of birth affect my State Pension age?

Your date of birth determines exactly when each State Pension age increase applies to you. For example, two people born a few months apart in the early 1960s may have different State Pension ages, even if both fall within the 2026–2028 increase period. The official timetable and the Government online calculator use your exact date of birth to work this out.

Are there exceptions to the State Pension age rules?

There are very few exceptions to the Government State Pension age rules. Certain overseas civil servants, armed forces personnel or those with specific historic rights may be affected differently, but for almost everyone living and working in the UK, the standard timetable applies. Even if you’re unable to work because of health or caring responsibilities before State Pension age, you’ll usually need to rely on other benefits or income until you reach it.

What happens if I want to claim my State Pension later?

You don’t have to claim as soon as you reach State Pension age. If you defer your State Pension, your weekly amount usually increases for every week you put off claiming, as long as you defer for at least nine weeks. The increase is added to your State Pension when you eventually claim.
Deferring might suit you if you’re still working or have other income, but it won’t be right for everyone. It’s important to consider your health, your need for income now versus later, and how deferring interacts with any other pensions you hold.