When will I reach State Pension age?

State Pension age is the earliest point at which you can claim your UK State Pension from the government. For most people currently approaching retirement, the age is either 66 or 67, depending on when you were born.

The State Pension age started rising from 66 to 67 on 6 April 2026. This increase is being phased in gradually, month by month, until April 2028. If you were born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961, your State Pension age falls somewhere between 66 and 67 — the exact date depends on your month of birth rather than simply your year.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) writes to people around two months before their State Pension age, but many people search for their date well before that letter arrives. The government provides an online checker through GOV.UK where you can enter your date of birth and find your specific State Pension age.

It is also worth knowing that you can choose to defer (delay) taking your State Pension beyond your qualifying age, which can increase the amount you eventually receive. Conversely, you cannot take the State Pension early — unlike a private or workplace pension, there is no option to access it before your State Pension age.

Further increases beyond 67 have been discussed by government, so if you are some years from retirement it is worth checking the current timetable periodically.

For a full picture of how your State Pension fits into your overall retirement income, a regulated independent financial adviser can help you plan around the specific date that applies to you.