Overview

• Dr Suzy Morrissey is leading an independent DWP review that will consider linking the State Pension age to life expectancy, drawing on models used in Denmark, Finland, Italy and the Netherlands.
• The DWP is urging those born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961 to check their State Pension age online, ahead of the legislated rise from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028.
• Current indicators suggest a 4.2%–4.6% triple‑lock increase in April 2026, with Broadstone estimating the full new State Pension could reach about £12,452–£12,524 a year, just under the £12,570 personal allowance.
• Analysts warn the uplift could pull more retirees into income tax or trigger HMRC notices, and older basic‑pension recipients would see smaller cash gains than those on the post‑2016 new State Pension.
• Debate over affordability has intensified, with proposals ranging from a temporary pension freeze or wider Pension Credit access to rejecting means‑testing, as unions including the RMT vow protests against any sharp age increase toward 70.