In 30 seconds
- Born 6 April 1960 to 5 March 1961: your State Pension age is between 66 years and 1 month and 66 years and 11 months.
- Born 6 March 1961 to 5 April 1977: your State Pension age is 67.
- Under current law it rises to 68 for people born after 5 April 1977, between 2044 and 2046, but that can change.
- Your State Pension does not start automatically: you need to claim it.
Key figures
From the GOV.UK State Pension age timetable.
The State Pension age table, month by month
The State Pension age was 66 for everyone born between 6 October 1954 and 5 April 1960. For people born after that, it rises one month at a time until it reaches 67.
| Your date of birth | Your State Pension age |
|---|---|
| 6 October 1954 to 5 April 1960 | 66 |
| 6 April 1960 to 5 May 1960 | 66 years and 1 month |
| 6 May 1960 to 5 June 1960 | 66 years and 2 months |
| 6 June 1960 to 5 July 1960 | 66 years and 3 months |
| 6 July 1960 to 5 August 1960 | 66 years and 4 months |
| 6 August 1960 to 5 September 1960 | 66 years and 5 months |
| 6 September 1960 to 5 October 1960 | 66 years and 6 months |
| 6 October 1960 to 5 November 1960 | 66 years and 7 months |
| 6 November 1960 to 5 December 1960 | 66 years and 8 months |
| 6 December 1960 to 5 January 1961 | 66 years and 9 months |
| 6 January 1961 to 5 February 1961 | 66 years and 10 months |
| 6 February 1961 to 5 March 1961 | 66 years and 11 months |
| 6 March 1961 to 5 April 1977 | 67 |
Worked examples
The age in the table is added to your date of birth. Three examples:
- Born 15 August 1960. Your State Pension age is 66 years and 5 months. You reach it on 15 January 2027.
- Born 31 July 1960. Your State Pension age is 66 years and 4 months. There is no 31 November, so GOV.UK says you reach it on 30 November 2026: the last day of that month.
- Born 10 March 1961. Your State Pension age is 67. You reach it on your 67th birthday, 10 March 2028.
Our State Pension age calculator does this for any date of birth, including the end-of-month cases.
What about people born after 1977?
Under the law as it stands, State Pension age rises again, from 67 to 68, between 2044 and 2046.
- Born 6 April 1977 to 5 April 1978: you reach State Pension age on a fixed date between 6 May 2044 and 6 March 2046, depending on your birthday.
- Born on or after 6 April 1978: 68.
These dates are less certain than the rise to 67. The government must review State Pension age regularly, and a future review could bring the rise to 68 forward or change it. If you are in your forties, treat 68 as a planning assumption, not a promise.
What a later State Pension age means for your plans
A longer gap to bridge if you stop work early
If you were born in 1962 and planned to stop working at 66, you now face a year with no State Pension. On the full rate, that is about £12,548 you need to find from somewhere else: savings, a private pension or part-time work.
Private and workplace pensions can usually be taken earlier. The normal minimum pension age is 55 today and rises to 57 on 6 April 2028, unless your scheme gives you a protected lower age. See who keeps 55.
Benefits linked to State Pension age move too
- Pension Credit, the top-up for people on low incomes, can only be claimed from State Pension age.
- A free older person's bus pass in England is also linked to State Pension age. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland give it from 60.
- Winter Fuel Payment depends on your date of birth, which in practice follows State Pension age. For winter 2026/27 you must have been born on or before 27 June 1960. If your income is over £35,000, it is taken back through the tax system.
More National Insurance years, if you keep working
There is one upside. If you keep working until a later State Pension age, you may build up extra qualifying years. That can matter if you have gaps, because each year adds about £6.89 a week to your State Pension, up to the full rate.
How to claim, and when
The State Pension does not start automatically: you have to claim it. You should get a letter telling you how. If you are within three months of your State Pension age and haven't received it, you can request an invitation code on GOV.UK and apply online.
You can claim online on GOV.UK. If you want to delay claiming to get a higher pension later, you simply do not claim yet. See our guide to how much the State Pension is for the deferral rates.
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Open the calculatorCommon questions
Will I get a letter about my State Pension?
You should get a letter telling you how to claim. If you are within three months of your State Pension age and it hasn't arrived, you can request an invitation code on GOV.UK to apply online.
Can I get my State Pension early?
No. You cannot take the State Pension before your State Pension age. You can usually take a private or workplace pension earlier, from 55 (rising to 57 in April 2028).
Is the rise to 68 definite?
Under current law, people born after 5 April 1977 reach State Pension age between 67 and 68 from 2044 to 2046, and 68 for those born from 6 April 1978. The government reviews the timetable, so the dates for younger people may change.
Sources
This guide is general information, not personal financial advice. Rules can change and your situation may differ. For free, impartial help, contact MoneyHelper, or speak to a regulated financial adviser.
