State pension age to rise in 2026 to everyone born in these years | Personal Finance | Finance

Changes are coming to the state pension age, with potentially significant consequences for those born in a few particular years.

From 2026, the UK’s state pension age is set to start rising from 66 to 67, with the increase expected to be implemented fully for men and women by 2028.

Under changes introduced by the Pensions Act 2014, those born between March 6, 1961 and April 5, 1977, will be entitled to claim the state pension once they reach the age of 67.

These conditions were the result of the 2014 legislation, which sped up the increase in the eligible age by eight years.

Anyone affected by the changes will receive a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions well ahead of their scheduled state pension eligibility, which should give them time to plan effectively.

Communications are usually sent out at least two months before individuals reach the state pension age.

A further increase in the eligible age is scheduled to take place between 2044 and 2046, when the threshold will rise from 67 to 68.

This proposal is scheduled for review before the end of this decade, though, with any changes required to pass through Parliament before they can become law.

People of all ages can use the state pension age checker on the gov.uk website to confirm their eligibility for the payment.

A recent high profile pension fallout has been led by the WASPI women, a campaign group founded in 2015 to represent those who say the way in which the state pension ages for men and women were equalised was unfair.

According to the group, the increase in the female retirement age from 60 to 65 was poorly communicated after the Pensions Act 1995, leaving millions of women badly affected.

WASPI argue the government should provide “fair compensation” to the women concerned, which was calculated at £2,950 in last year’s report.