IFS study finds 16 per cent of people with state pension age between 66 and 67 either underestimate or are unaware of their correct retirement ageJames Rodger Content Editor and Tom Kershaw Head of Live News
11:06, 12 Apr 2026
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The Department for Work and Pensions is being urged to send a vital letter to “every” person in the UK born before 1976. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has called on the DWP to take action amid growing concerns that many people are unaware of their state pension age.
A study by the IFS has revealed that 16 per cent of people whose state pension age falls between 66 and 67 either underestimate or have no knowledge of their correct age. IFS senior research economist Heidi Karjalainen cautioned that only two in three individuals in their early-to-mid-60s correctly identify their retirement age as 66, with just 20 per cent of those whose state pension age falls between 66 and 67 doing so, reports Birmingham Live.
“This gap in awareness is concerning because it can lead to financial risks,” warned Karjalainen. “And for most, the state pension will represent a large part of their retirement resources,” Karjalainen added. “Clear and timely communication of any future increases in the SPA is important,” warned Karjalainen
The IFS has recommended that the government write to individuals around their 50th birthday (those born in and around 1976), outlining their currently legislated or likely state pension age, and that it should commit to making no changes to the state pension age for anyone within 10 years of reaching it.
“This would help give people confidence about when they can expect to receive a state pension and facilitate financial planning in the run-up to retirement,” Karjalainen added. You become eligible for the State Pension upon reaching the Labour Party government’s official retirement age.
This varies depending on your date of birth. The State Pension age is presently being phased up from 66 to 67 between April 2026 and April 2027 for both men and women. An additional increase to 68 is scheduled between 2044 and 2046, Money Saving Expert explains.