Overview
- The phased increase began in April 2026, adding one month to the qualifying age every two months until early 2028, with people born 6 April–5 May 1960 the first to wait longer.
- Payments also rose in April by 4.8% under the triple lock to £241.30 a week for the full new State Pension and £184.90 for the basic rate.
- Because of a late‑May bank holiday, the DWP will pay some State Pensions a working day early, which affects people based on the last two digits of their National Insurance number.
- The Treasury and the OBR say the higher age should save around £10 billion a year by about 2030 through fewer pension outlays and more people paying tax for longer.
- Think-tanks and charities warn the change hits lower‑income and less healthy workers hardest and urge people to check their State Pension forecast, National Insurance gaps, and Pension Credit eligibility, as ministers review a later move to 68 in the mid‑2040s.