The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed when the State Pension age will start rising to 68. The age currently stands at 66, and is expected to climb to 67 by 2028. The government is legally obliged to carry out regular checks to review the threshold.
A timetable of when the changes will come into force for those affected was published with the Pensions Act 2014. State pensioners can also use the government's calculator to find out your State Pension age, reports the Manchester Evening News.
When will the State Pension age rise to 68?
Those born from April 6, 1977 onwards can expect their State Pension age to be incrementally increased to 68 in the future. The changes are currently timetabled to begin in 2044.
It comes after the DWP confirmed that the State Pension increase from 66 to 67 is expected to be completely implemented for all men and women across the UK by 2028. It is set to come into force gradually for people born after September 6, 1960 - with 12 timetabled increases laid out by the DWP.
Speaking about when the State Pension age will increase to 68, the DWP said: "Under the Pensions Act 2007, the State Pension age for men and women will increase from 67 to 68 between 2044 and 2046."
The Pensions Act 2014 provides for a regular review of the State Pension age, at least once every five years. The review will be based around the idea that people should be able to spend a certain proportion of their adult life drawing a State Pension.
DWP timetable for the State Pension age increase from 67 to 68
As well as life expectancy, it will take into account a range of factors relevant to setting the pension age. After the review has reported, the government may then choose to bring forward changes to the State Pension age.
"Any proposals to do so would, like now, have to go through Parliament before becoming law. The government is not planning to revise the existing timetables for the equalisation of State Pension age to 65 or the rise in the State Pension age to 66 or 67."
However the timetable for the increase in the State Pension age from 67 to 68 could change as a result of the review.
The DWP has laid out the following dates for those born between April 1977 and April 1978, with the State Pension age rising incrementally from 2044:
- 6 April 1977 – 5 May 1977: 6 May 2044
- 6 May 1977 – 5 June 1977: 6 July 2044
- 6 June 1977 – 5 July 1977: 6 September 2044
- 6 July 1977 – 5 August 1977: 6 November 2044
- 6 August 1977 – 5 September 1977: 6 January 2045
- 6 September 1977 – 5 October 1977: 6 March 2045
- 6 October 1977 – 5 November 1977: 6 May 2045
- 6 November 1977 – 5 December 1977: 6 July 2045
- 6 December 1977 – 5 January 1978: 6 September 2045
- 6 January 1978 – 5 February 1978: 6 November 2045
- 6 February 1978 – 5 March 1978: 6 January 2046
- 6 March 1978 – 5 April 1978: 6 March 2046
- 6 April 1978 onwards: 68th birthday
