Overview

• The legislated increase will raise the State Pension age from 66 to 67 between April 2026 and March 2028, affecting all men and women across the UK.
• BBC Money Box’s Paul Lewis says people born on or after 6 April 1960 will wait up to 12 months longer to claim, a delay he calculates could cost up to £12,849 for those on the full New State Pension.
• The Department for Work and Pensions has formally responded to a fast-growing petition, stating there are no plans to reduce eligibility to age 60 or to set payments at £586 per week tied to the National Living Wage.
• Under the Triple Lock, payments are expected to rise by 4.7% from April 2026, taking the full New State Pension to about £241.05 a week (around £12,534 a year), which could draw more retirees into income tax due to frozen thresholds.
• The government has launched a statutory review of future State Pension age rules, with an independent report led by Dr Suzy Morrissey due by March 2029, and Phoenix Insights warns bringing forward the rise to 68 could delay payments for around three million people.