Overview
- DWP confirms the full New State Pension will increase to £241.30 a week (about £12,548 a year) in 2026/27, with the basic rate rising to £184.90.
- Payments due on Thursday 1 January and Friday 2 January in Scotland will be paid early on Wednesday 31 December.
- The State Pension age will increase from 66 to 67 between April 2026 and April 2028, affecting people born after April 1960.
- With income tax and inheritance tax thresholds frozen to 2030, analysts warn more pensioners could face income tax and higher estate exposure; reported reforms from April 2027 would bring pensions into IHT for the first time.
- Ministers are under pressure to set a pensions tax lock and provide clarity on future pension-tax rules as the new rates take effect.