Overview

• Standard Life reports Britons still hope to retire at 62 but now expect to stop work at 67, up from 66 last year.
• The State Pension age is legislated to rise from 66 to 67 between April 2026 and April 2028, yet fewer than one in five correctly identify the current age as 66.
• Confidence is weak, with under a third expecting the Triple Lock to endure and only a little over half believing the State Pension will remain universal when they retire.
• Nearly 13 million receive State Pension payments, with the full New State Pension at £230.25 a week; deferring raises payments by about 1% every nine weeks, and National Insurance stops at pension age once employers are notified.
• The gap is widest for renters, lower‑income households and some regions, while many younger savers rely on auto‑enrolment and only about one in three DC members raise contributions beyond the minimum, prompting calls for higher saving and workplace flexibility.