The state pension age is increasing again in November for another group of retirees, with those born between July 6, 1960 and August 5, 1960 set to receive their pension at 66 years and 4 months, which falls between October and November 2026.
Under the old rules, this group would have been able to claim their pension four months earlier, in June or July. The rise from 66 to 67 is being phased in gradually over two tax years rather than applying as a single change for all pensioners.
How the phase-in works
The state pension age increase was enacted in 2014, but it is not happening at the same time for all retirees. Instead, it is being phased in over three tax years, depending on date of birth. The monthly incremental phase-in is based on blocks of monthly birth date ranges, beginning in April 1960.
Those born between April 6, 1960 and May 5, 1960 received their state pension from 66 years and 1 month, making them eligible from May 6 to June 6, 2026. The second group, born between May 6 and June 5, 1960, received their pension at 66 years and 2 months, which was July to August 2026.
Who is affected in November
People born between August 6, 1960 and September 5, 1960 will receive their pension at 66 years and 5 months, which is December 2026 to January 2027. This means they will have to wait until after November to be eligible, even though they would have been claiming before November under the old rules.
The government says 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."
Future review
The government also changed the way the increase 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 announced that the state pension age is being reviewed again, earlier than is mandatory. The last 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 age is being looked at again sooner than planned. This means the next increase to 68, due in the 2040s, could be brought forward depending on what the review concludes.
