Government confirms rise in state pension age as part of phased process for those born in 1960
Want LBC stories before everyone else? Set us as your Preferred Source on Google
The age of the state pension is going up by one year.
Picture:
Alamy
Millions are being affected by a change to the UK state pensions, with the government increasing the age from 66 to 67 over a staggered period.
From this month, the age at which Brits can claim the state pension is being put back in a staggered process, which is affecting those born in 1960 and 1961.
Currently, Brits get access to their state pension at 66 but by 2028 the standard age will be 67 – and the government is considering pushing this back to 70-years-old.
Read also: More than 12 million pensioners to receive up to £575 increase from triple lock
Read also: April state pension changes – why it is ‘crucial’ for workers to plan ahead
The state pension age is increasing.
Picture:
Alamy
At what age will I reach the state pension?
If your birthday is on or before April 6, 1960, the UK State Pension age is 66 for both men and women.
The government is raising the state pension age to 67 and is introducing a staggered change, which will affect those with birthdays from April 1960 to March 1961.
For those with birthdays from April 1961, the state pension age will be 67.
See when your birthday aligns with the pension age from 1960:
April 6 (1960) to May 5 – 66 years and one monthMay 6 to June 5 – 66 years and two monthsJune 6 to July 5 – 66 years and three monthsJuly 6 to August 5 – 66 years and four monthsAugust 6 to September 5 – 66 years and five monthsSeptember 6 to October 5 – 66 years and six monthsOctober 6 to November 5 – 66 years and seven monthsNovember 6 to December 5 – 66 years and eight monthsDecember 6 (1960) to January 5 (1961) – 66 years and nine monthsJanuary 6 (1961) to February 5 – 66 years and ten monthsFebruary 6 to March 5 – 66 years and eleven months
From March 6, 1961 to April 5, 1977, you will reach the state pension age at 67-years-old.
Beyond April 5, 1977, the age is yet to be determined.
For those born in the 1970s, retirement age will be 68 at the absolute earliest, while Brits born in the 80s and 90s can expect to feel the brunt of these changes and could be expected to work well into their 70s.
Work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden.
Picture:
Alamy
How much is the state pension?
Under government-approved plans, the state pension for those who reached the age before April 2016 is set to rise by £439.40 a year to £9,614.80.
Those who came of age after April 2016 will see a £574.60 rise to £241.30 a week, or £12,547.60 a year,.
Why is the state pension age changing?
In pushing the age of the state pension back, the government might be looking to copy Denmark’s example, with the retirement age moved back to align with life expectancy also going up.
Previous work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall identified an issue of many OAPs being short of money in later life.
“Put simply, unless we act, tomorrow’s pensioners will be poorer than today’s, because people who are saving aren’t saving enough for their retirement,” she said.
“And crucially, because almost half of the working age population isn’t saving anything for their retirement at all.”
She said the pensions commission will provide recommendations for how to boost retirement income in 2027.