Overview
- The state pension age will be phased up from 66 to 67 starting in April 2026, with the change completed within two years.
- People born after 6 March 1961 will not be able to claim the state pension until they are 67, with those just before that date seeing a smaller incremental delay past 66.
- Analysts warn the shift could deepen hardship for older workers, noting 22% of 60–64-year-olds (about 876,000 people) were in poverty in 2023/24 and the last rise led to roughly 100,000 more 65-year-olds in absolute poverty.
- Officials point to a 2013 assessment as the latest analysis of the move to 67, while a new government review covers future increases and will not revisit the scheduled 2026–2028 change.
- A cross-party committee chaired by Debbie Abrahams is examining the pre-retirement income gap and is inviting evidence submissions until 4pm on 19 December 2025.