From 2026, individuals born after April 1960 will face a delay in accessing their State Pension due to a scheduled rise in the pension age. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has officially confirmed that the State Pension age will increase from 66 to 67 over a phased period spanning 2026 to 2028.
Currently, both men and women can claim their State Pension upon reaching 66. However, under the new scheme, those born between April 6, 1960, and March 5, 1961, will see their pension age gradually shift. This group will retire at 66 years plus additional months, meaning their pension payments will be delayed beyond their 66th birthday, with some waiting until nearly 67.
This phased approach stems from changes enacted in the Pensions Act 2014, which accelerated the timeline for increasing the State Pension age to 67 by eight years. Instead of reaching pension age on a fixed date, individuals born within this period will have a staggered eligibility, calculated by their exact birth date.
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For example, people born after April 5, 1977, are set to retire at 67, and plans are in place to further increase the pension age to 68 between 2044 and 2046. The DWP notes that these adjustments take into account factors such as rising life expectancy and must receive parliamentary approval before becoming law.
At present, there are no plans to alter the timeline for the 66 to 67 shift, although the proposed increase to 68 remains under review and may be subject to change.