Under the changes, people will have to wait longer before they can start claiming their pension. For many, the increase means working additional years before becoming eligible for payments. Exactly when someone can claim depends on their date of birth, with the shift to 67 being phased in gradually.
Government plans could push the retirement age even higher in the future. Ministers have already confirmed a further rise to 68 is planned, currently scheduled to happen between 6 April 2044 and 5 April 2046.
Financial experts say anyone born between 1960 and 1977 should check their official state pension age to avoid surprises when planning retirement.
They warn that people may need to adjust savings plans, workplace pensions or retirement timelines if they expect to stop work earlier.
For the 2025-26 tax year, the full rate of the new State Pension is £230.25 per week, with a further increase to £241.30 per week planned for 2026/27.
However, the amount someone receives depends on their National Insurance record.
Experts say understanding the rules early can help people better prepare for retirement and avoid a last-minute financial shortfall.
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The government says about the phase-in in its guidance: “The Pensions Act 2014 brought the increase in the state pension age from 66 to 67 forward by eight years.
“The state pension age for men and women will now increase to 67 between 2026 and 2028.
“The government also changed the way in which the increase in the state pension is phased so that rather than reaching State Pension age on a specific date, people born between April 6, 1960 and March 5, 1961 will reach their state pension age at 66 years and the specified number of months.”
Separately, the government also announced that the state pension age is being reviewed again, earlier than is mandatory.
The last pension age review was completed in 2023 and is only required to be redone every six years. But due to pressure on the public purse, the pension benefits age is being looked at again, sooner than planned.
It means the next pension age increase to 68, due in the 2040s, could be brought forward depending on what the review concludes.