State pensioners born on specific dates face a payment delay of up to one year. The Pensions Act 2014 means that the national State Pension age is going up from 66 to 67 and that will happen in phases rather than one sudden leap.
The legislation says the age when you can claim your State Pension will rise to 67 between 2026 and 2027. It will then go up again to 68, which is currently timetabled for 2044-2046 but could be brought forward to “2040 or thereabouts” according to the former head of the DWP.
Phasing in the next rise means people born between April 6, 1960, and March 5, 1961, won’t reach State Pension age when they are 66 but will have to wait between one and 11 months longer. That gradually introduces the rise to 67 for those born from March 6, 1961, up to April 5, 1977.
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To help you understand when you will be allowed to claim your State Pension, we have put together a timetable of the changes coming in during 2026. It shows how people born between April 6, 1960, and March 5, 196,1 will reach their State Pension age at 66 years and these specified number of months:
Date of birth and the date when you will be eligible to claim your State Pension
Born April 6, 1960-May 5, 1960: 66 years and 1 month (May-June 2026)
Born May 6, 1960-June 5, 1960: 66 years and 2 months (July-August 2026)
Born June 6, 1960-July 5, 1960: 66 years and 3 months (September-October 2026)
Born July 6, 1960-August 5, 1960: 66 years and 4 months (November-December 2026). Note that a person born on July 31, 1960, is considered to reach the age of 66 years and 4 months on November 30, 2026.
Born August 6, 1960-September 5, 1960: 66 years and 5 months (January-February 2027)
Born September 6, 1960-October 5, 1960: 66 years and 6 months (March-April 2027)
Born October 6, 1960-November 5, 1960: 66 years and 7 months (May-June 2027)
Born November 6, 1960-December 5, 1960: 66 years and 8 months (July-August 2027)
Born December 6, 1960-January 5, 1961: 66 years and 9 months (September-October 2027). But note that a person born on December 31, 1960 is considered to reach the age of 66 years and 9 months on September 30, 2027.
Born January 6, 1961-February 5, 1961: 66 years and 10 months (November-December 2027). But note that a person born on January 31, 1961 is considered to reach the age of 66 years and 10 months on November 30, 2027.
Born February 6, 1961-March 5, 1961: 66 years and 11 months (January-February 2028)
Born March 6, 1961-April 5, 1977: 67 (March-April 2028). For people born after April 5, 1969, but before April 6, 1977, under the Pensions Act 2007, the State Pension age was already 67.
How to claim your State Pension
Bear in mind that you don’t start getting your State Pension automatically but will need to claim it. Letters are usually sent out in advance of the date you qualify and if you are reaching State Pension age in the next four months, you can phone the Pension Service on 0800 731 7898.
Claims can also be made online using an invitation code in the letter or, if you don’t have the letter but will be reaching State Pension age within three months, you can use the online service to ask for an invitation code to be sent to you.
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