The ongoing increase in the UK State Pension age from 66 to 67 will delay eligibility for Pension Credit for anyone born after October 6, 1960. The age rise, which began on April 6, is being phased in gradually in one-month increments over two years, completing in 2028.
This change pushes back the point at which people turning 66 during the transition period reach State Pension age and, in turn, become eligible for State Pension age-related benefits, including Pension Credit. Pension Credit is worth £4,300 per year on average, and in the 2026 to 2027 tax year it can top up weekly income to £238 for single people or £363.25 for those with a partner.
What Pension Credit offers and who is affected
The benefit is paid separately from the State Pension, and people can receive it even if they have other income, savings, or own their own home. It also unlocks access to other perks, including a Council Tax Discount, Cold Weather Payments, a £150 discount on electricity bills, help with NHS treatment costs, and a free TV licence for those aged 75 or over.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed to the Express that eligibility for Pension Credit is linked to State Pension age, which “means it is rising in line with the increase in State Pension age and is currently 66 plus a specified number of months, depending on an individual’s birthday.”
New phase begins this month
The next phase of the State Pension age increase gets underway this month, affecting anyone born after October 6, 1960. Under the DWP timetable, people with 66th birthdays between October 6, 1960, and November 5, 1960, will not reach State Pension age for another seven months. This timeframe also applies to Pension Credit, meaning someone born on October 6, 1960, would not become eligible to claim the benefit until aged 66 years and seven months, with the earliest payments starting from May 6 next year.
Clare Moffat, Pension and Tax Expert at Royal London, told the Express: “Raising the State Pension age doesn't just affect when people can claim their State Pension, it also means some older people will have to wait longer before they can access valuable financial support. For those whose 66th birthday falls during the transition period, the impact could be significant.
“Pension Credit is worth thousands of pounds a year for eligible pensioners on low incomes, and it can also act as a gateway to additional help, such as support with housing costs, council tax and the Winter Fuel Payment, depending on individual circumstances. Having to wait several extra months, or potentially close to a year, before becoming eligible could leave some households facing a real financial squeeze at a stage of life when opportunities to increase their income may be limited.”
Full timetable for the age increase
Eligibility for State Pension age benefits becomes further delayed the later in the year a 66th birthday falls, increasing by one month each time. People turning 66 in the month from November 6 face an extra eight-month wait, while those turning 66 in the month from December 6 face an extra nine-month wait, and so on until the age rise to 67 is complete.
The full DWP timetable for the State Pension age rise from 66 to 67, showing when people with birthdays between April 6, 1960, and March 5, 1961, can claim their State Pension and Pension Credit in England, Scotland, and Wales, is as follows:
- April 6, 1960 – May 5, 1960: 66 years and 1 month
- May 6, 1960 – June 5, 1960: 66 years and 2 months
- June 6, 1960 – July 5, 1960: 66 years and 3 months
- July 6, 1960 – August 5, 1960: 66 years and 4 months
- August 6, 1960 – September 5, 1960: 66 years and 5 months
- September 6, 1960 – October 5, 1960: 66 years and 6 months
- October 6, 1960 – November 5, 1960: 66 years and 7 months
- November 6, 1960 – December 5, 1960: 66 years and 8 months
- December 6, 1960 – January 5, 1961: 66 years and 9 months
- January 6, 1961 – February 5, 1961: 66 years and 10 months
- February 6, 1961 – March 5, 1961: 66 years and 11 months
- March 6, 1961 – April 5, 1977: 67 years
The DWP said: "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 phasing of the increase so that people born between April 6, 1960, and March 5, 1961, reach State Pension age at 66 years plus a specified number of months, rather than on a specific date. For those born after April 5, 1969, but before April 6, 1977, State Pension age was already 67 under the Pensions Act 2007.
