Pensions & Retirement19 October 2026

State Pension Age Is Rising to 67: Who Is Affected and What to Do Now

Written and reviewed by, LLM (UK), CFP®·Published

State Pension Age Is Rising to 67: Who Is Affected and What to Do Now

The State Pension age is no longer 66 for everyone. Since May 2026, people born on or after 6 April 1960 have been reaching State Pension age later, one extra month at a time, and anyone born on or after 6 March 1961 now has to wait until 67. At the 2026/27 full new State Pension of £241.30 a week, every month of delay is worth roughly £1,046, and a full year is worth £12,547.60.

This guide shows your exact State Pension age, what the wait costs, and the steps worth taking now.

Try it yourself: the State Pension Calculator estimates your weekly State Pension and shows your State Pension age from your date of birth.

What the law says

The rise to 67 was set by the Pensions Act 2014. Under the current legislated timetable:

  • Born before 6 April 1960: 66.
  • Born 6 April 1960 to 5 March 1961: between 66 years and 1 month and 66 years and 11 months (table below).
  • Born 6 March 1961 to 5 April 1977: 67.
  • Born 6 April 1977 to 5 April 1978: rising in stages to 68, reached between 6 May 2044 and 6 March 2046.
  • Born on or after 6 April 1978: 68.

The rise to 68 is already in law under the Pensions Act 2007, and no change to that timetable has been legislated.

State Pension age by date of birth: the phased cohort

This is the month-by-month phasing set by section 26 of the Pensions Act 2014 and the government's published timetable. The final column is calculated by adding the State Pension age to the first and last birth dates in each band.

Date of birth State Pension age Reach State Pension age between
6 Apr 1960 to 5 May 1960 66 years 1 month 6 May 2026 and 5 Jun 2026
6 May 1960 to 5 Jun 1960 66 years 2 months 6 Jul 2026 and 5 Aug 2026
6 Jun 1960 to 5 Jul 1960 66 years 3 months 6 Sep 2026 and 5 Oct 2026
6 Jul 1960 to 5 Aug 1960 66 years 4 months 6 Nov 2026 and 5 Dec 2026
6 Aug 1960 to 5 Sep 1960 66 years 5 months 6 Jan 2027 and 5 Feb 2027
6 Sep 1960 to 5 Oct 1960 66 years 6 months 6 Mar 2027 and 5 Apr 2027
6 Oct 1960 to 5 Nov 1960 66 years 7 months 6 May 2027 and 5 Jun 2027
6 Nov 1960 to 5 Dec 1960 66 years 8 months 6 Jul 2027 and 5 Aug 2027
6 Dec 1960 to 5 Jan 1961 66 years 9 months 6 Sep 2027 and 5 Oct 2027
6 Jan 1961 to 5 Feb 1961 66 years 10 months 6 Nov 2027 and 5 Dec 2027
6 Feb 1961 to 5 Mar 1961 66 years 11 months 6 Jan 2028 and 5 Feb 2028
6 Mar 1961 to 5 Apr 1977 67 from 6 Mar 2028

Three birth dates fall on a day missing from the target month, so the timetable fixes them: someone born on 31 July 1960 reaches State Pension age on 30 November 2026, someone born on 31 December 1960 on 30 September 2027, and someone born on 31 January 1961 on 30 November 2027.

Because State Pension age rises by a month for each one-month band of birth dates, nobody reaches it in alternate months (for example, between 6 June and 5 July 2026). The first three bands have already reached State Pension age, and the next group starts on 6 November 2026.

What the wait costs you

The full new State Pension for 2026/27 is £241.30 a week, which is £12,547.60 a year. Using that rate in today's money:

Delay compared with age 66 Approximate State Pension not received
1 month £1,046
6 months £6,274
11 months £11,502
12 months (State Pension age 67) £12,547.60

These are simple fractions of the annual figure; scale them down if you are on less than the full rate. In short, someone born on 6 March 1961 receives about £12,500 less State Pension, in today's money, than someone born in March 1960, and that shortfall has to come from somewhere.

Has the third State Pension age review reported?

Not yet. The government launched the third review of State Pension age on 21 July 2025, as the Pensions Act 2014 requires a review every six years. It will draw on an independent report led by Dr Suzy Morrissey and a Government Actuary's Department report on life expectancy projections.

As of October 2026, neither report has been published on gov.uk and no change to the timetable has been announced. Talk of a State Pension age of 69 or 70 is speculation, not policy, so plan around the legislated ages.

Step 1: check your forecast

Get your State Pension forecast at gov.uk/check-state-pension. It shows when you can get your State Pension, how much you could get, and whether you can increase it. Have photo ID to hand in case you need to prove your identity. You can also confirm your exact date on the gov.uk State Pension age checker.

Step 2: fill National Insurance gaps if it pays

You need 35 qualifying years for the full new State Pension and at least 10 years to get any. If your forecast shows you are short, voluntary Class 3 contributions cost £18.40 a week in 2026/27, which is £956.80 for a full year.

Each extra year adds 1/35 of the full rate: £241.30 ÷ 35 = about £6.89 a week, or roughly £358.50 a year, for life. That makes the payback period about 2.7 years (£956.80 ÷ £358.50). If you are self-employed and were trading in the gap year, Class 2 at £3.65 a week is far cheaper.

You can normally pay for the past six tax years only. Check your forecast first: if you will reach 35 years before State Pension age anyway, buying extra years adds nothing. The triple lock guide covers qualifying years and NI credits in more detail.

Step 3: plan the bridging gap

If you stop work before State Pension age, the years in between must be funded from pensions, ISAs, savings or part-time earnings.

Private pensions can currently be accessed from age 55. That normal minimum pension age rises to 57 on 6 April 2028, under the Finance Act 2022, unless your scheme gives you a protected pension age. Anyone born after 5 April 1973 therefore faces at least ten years between private pension access at 57 and State Pension age.

To put a figure on the bridge in today's money:

  • Retiring at 60 with a State Pension age of 67 means seven years without it: 7 × £12,547.60 = £87,833.20 of income to replace.
  • Retiring at 63 with a State Pension age of 66 years and 6 months means three and a half years: £43,916.60.

Use the Pension Calculator to project your pot, the Pension Drawdown Calculator to test whether it covers the bridge, and the Annuity Calculator to price a guaranteed income. The order you draw from pensions, ISAs and savings affects your tax bill, as our withdrawal sequencing guide explains.

There is also a tax point. Once it starts, the full State Pension of £12,547.60 uses all but £22.40 of the £12,570 Personal Allowance. Before State Pension age, if you have no other income, that allowance is free to cover taxable pension withdrawals, so drawing more from your private pension during the bridge years and less afterwards can lower your lifetime tax.

Step 4: decide whether to defer

If you do not claim your State Pension, it is deferred automatically. For people reaching State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016, it increases by 1% for every 9 weeks you defer, which is just under 5.8% for every 52 weeks. You must defer for at least 9 weeks to get an increase.

At the full rate, deferring for 52 weeks adds about £13.94 a week (52 ÷ 9 = 5.78%), or roughly £725 a year. Against £12,547.60 given up, you would need to live about 17 years before breaking even, ignoring tax and future uprating. Deferral tends to suit people still working, or in good health with other income. You cannot build up extra State Pension while you or your partner get certain benefits.

Step 5: check Pension Credit

Pension Credit is only available once you have reached State Pension age, so the rise to 67 also delays it. For 2026/27, Guarantee Credit tops weekly income up to £238.00 if you are single or £363.25 for a couple. A couple where one partner is under State Pension age generally cannot claim, unless one of them already gets Housing Benefit for people over State Pension age.

Frequently asked questions

I was born in 1960. When do I get my State Pension? At 66 if born before 6 April 1960. If born on or after that date, between 66 years 1 month and 66 years 11 months: see the table above.

Will my State Pension age go up to 68 sooner? Not under current law: the rise to 68 happens between 2044 and 2046. The third review has not reported.

Can I still retire at 66? Yes, but your State Pension will not start until your State Pension age, so you need other income to cover the gap.

Is it worth paying voluntary NI in my 60s? Often, yes. One year of Class 3 costs £956.80 and adds about £358.50 a year at the full rate, so it pays for itself in under three years.

Could the rules change soon? The Autumn Budget on 28 October 2026 could change tax and pension rules, so check the latest position on gov.uk before acting.

The bottom line

If you were born on or after 6 April 1960, your State Pension arrives later than it did for those before you: up to 11 months later for the phased group and a full year later for anyone born from 6 March 1961. At 2026/27 rates that is up to £12,547.60 of income you need to plan around.

Check your forecast on gov.uk, fill NI gaps that will genuinely increase your pension, and plan the bridge. Start with the State Pension Calculator, then read how much you need to retire in the UK.

Related calculators and guides

This article is for general guidance only and is not personalised financial advice. State Pension rules are complex and your individual circumstances may differ. For advice tailored to your situation, speak to a qualified financial adviser or contact the Pension Service. Figures are for the 2026/27 tax year and sourced from gov.uk.

Sources

Rates and rules in this article are taken from the official pages below. Figures were checked against these sources at the last review date shown above; always confirm against the source before acting.

About the author

, LLM (UK), CFP®, CIM®, PFP®. Financial planner with 18 years in banking and wealth management, holding a UK master of laws and the Canadian CFP®, CIM® and PFP® designations. Writes and reviews every calculator and article on FinanceToolz.

Rates and thresholds in this article are taken from HMRC and GOV.UK. See our editorial policy for how content is sourced, reviewed and corrected. This is general information, not regulated financial advice.

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