The ongoing rise in the UK State Pension age from 66 to 67 will affect when pensioners born after November 6, 1960, can start claiming their State Pension from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
The increase is being phased in gradually in once-month increments over a two-year period due to complete in 2028. The phased age increase began on April 6 this year, and for those turning 66 during this two-year transitional period, the point at which they can start claiming their State Pension will be delayed. The waiting period depends on when your birthday falls, meaning some people will be just a month or two away from turning 67 before they can get their first payment.
Next phase begins this month
The next phase of the age increase begins this month and will affect anyone born between November 6, 1960, and December 5, 1960. Pensioners due to turn 66 during this period face an extra eight-month wait before they can claim their State Pension.
So if you were born on November 6, 1960, the age increase means you will become eligible to claim your State Pension on July 6, 2027, when you are exactly 66 years and eight months old.
How the delay increases
State Pension eligibility becomes further delayed the later in the year your 66th birthday falls, increasing by one month each time. It means those turning 66 in the month from December 6 face an extra nine-month wait, while those turning 66 in the month from January 6 face an extra 10-month wait, and so on until the age rise to 67 is complete.
Listed is the DWP timetable for the State Pension age increase from 66 to 67, which shows when people with birthdays between April 6, 1960, and March 5, 1961, can claim their State Pension, with the next phase getting underway from November 6:
- 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
Official explanation
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 way in which the increase in State Pension age is phased so that rather than reaching State Pension age on a specific date, people born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961 will reach their State Pension age at 66 years and the specified number of months. For people born after 5 April 1969 but before 6 April 1977, under the Pensions Act 2007, State Pension age was already 67.
