Overview

• Average earnings growth of 4.6% is currently set to drive the 2026 triple-lock increase, implying a rise of roughly £478–£551 and taking the full new State Pension to about £12,524, with the official figure due in September for payment from April.
• Pensioners on the pre-2016 basic State Pension would receive a smaller cash uplift than those on the new system, and only some can narrow the gap through means-tested Pension Credit.
• HMRC projects 8.7 million people over State Pension age will pay income tax in 2025/26 as payments edge toward the £12,570 personal allowance, raising the likelihood of more tax notifications if rates increase again.
• The DWP’s statutory review led by Dr Suzy Morrissey is examining automatic links between the State Pension age and life expectancy, with scenarios discussed that could lift entitlement to around 70 for younger cohorts.
• The age is already scheduled to rise to 67 between 2026 and 2028, the DWP is issuing cohort guidance and promoting its online age-checker, and the OBR flags triple-lock costs rising to about £15.5bn by 2030.