Overview

• From April 2026 to April 2028 the state pension age increases in monthly steps to 67, leaving some born in early February 1961 waiting up to 66 years and 11 months to claim.
• Standard Life reports fewer than one in five people correctly identify the current age of 66, while a widening expectation gap shows people hope to retire at 62 but now expect to at 67, with larger gaps for renters, lower‑income households and in the North East.
• The government has commissioned a new review of future state pension age policy that could consider the timing of a rise to 68, assessing life expectancy, labour market trends, costs and long‑term sustainability.
• The triple lock uprating for 2026/27 has been confirmed, lifting the full new state pension by £562 to about £12,535 a year, with the older basic rate remaining lower.
• Reaching state pension age ends eligibility for new claims to income‑based JSA, income‑related ESA, Income Support and Universal Credit, and new applications for DLA, PIP or ADP are not allowed after that point.