Many unaware of rise in State Pension age

17 April 2025

Page Last Updated: 21st August 2025

A major change to the State Pension age is just around the corner – but many people approaching retirement still don’t know about it.

The State Pension age is set to rise again soon, yet a significant number of people in their early 60s remain unaware of exactly when they'll be eligible to claim it. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), this lack of awareness could leave thousands unprepared, especially if they’re planning to retire before they can actually receive the State Pension.

Right now, both men and women can claim the State Pension from age 66. But from April 2026, that age will rise in monthly increments for anyone born between 6 April 1960 and 6 March 1961. It will rise to 67 for anyone born between 6 April 1961 and 5 April 1977. Please see the official timetable for the increase in State Pension age for clarification.

According to the IFS, only 6 in 10 people surveyed could correctly say when they’ll reach their State Pension age. Worryingly, IFS experts reported that “more than one in five people (22%) have knowledge gaps that can lead to them making possibly poor decisions about their savings or when they retire”.

For those already retired, the State Pension makes up around 44% of their overall income on average. That’s a significant portion, and for many people the State Pension will be their only source of retirement income. 

People who are unclear about when they can claim may make important financial or life decisions based on inaccurate assumptions. For instance, some might choose to leave work, pay off debts, or even relocate, thinking their State Pension is just around the corner – only to later find out that payments could be delayed by several months, or even up to a year.

Why is the State Pension age going up?

It’s largely down to life expectancy and the cost of paying pensions. People are generally living longer, which is great news, but it also means the government has to find ways to fund longer retirements. By increasing the State Pension age, the aim is to keep the system financially sustainable for future generations.

The next rise, from 66 to 67, will happen between April 2026 and March 2028. A further rise to 68 was expected to phase in between 2044 and 2046, although an earlier pensions review recommended bringing this forward to 2037-2039.

In July 2025, Work and Pensions Minister Liz Kendall confirmed that the government will carry out a fresh review of the State Pension age. Regular reviews of the State Pension age are a legal requirement in order to ensure it reflects ongoing changes in factors such as economic conditions and life expectancy. 

This new review should confirm the timetable for a rise in State Pension age to 68, although the review may not be complete until 2029.

How can retirees manage a later State Pension age?

We don’t give advice in these articles, but here are a few options to consider if you are concerned about waiting longer to receive your State Pension: 

Make sure you know your State Pension age

It sounds obvious, but as we saw above, many people are unaware when they will start receiving their State Pension. Use the links below to make sure you know when your State Pension payments will begin.

Check your benefits

Check if you are eligible for benefits such as Pension Credit. Many people don’t realise they could be receiving thousands of pounds in benefits, which could be just what they need to cope with an extended State Pension age. 

Get debt free

If your income is set to fall when you reach State Pension age, for example if it coincides with leaving full time employment, this could be a good target date for clearing any debts. Retiring with no mortgage, loan repayments or other debts would put less strain on your finances. 

However, always weigh up decisions like repaying a mortgage early carefully, taking into account any early repayment fees.

Look at your savings and investments

Review any savings or investments you may have. Although you may have set these aside for the longer term, you may decide to use them to ‘’bridge the gap’ between retiring and an extended State Pension age.

Consider the role your pension savings could play

Your defined contribution pension savings could also be used to bridge a gap between finishing work or semi-retiring and drawing your State Pension. 

One way to do this is with a fixed term annuity, where you use some or all of your pension pot to set up guaranteed income for a set term. Another option is to withdraw money via income drawdown. 

Do bear in mind that if you start to access your pension fund earlier than planned, it will need to provide you with an income over a longer period. That could mean your income from it is smaller, or that you run out of money sooner, or both.

Weigh up your options carefully, take financial advice if you feel that would help, and get some annuity quotes to explore how a fixed term annuity might support you.

Make sure you also trace any lost pensions – millions of people may have money sitting in a forgotten pension account that could enhance their retirement income. 

And finally, if you are still some years away from retirement, consider boosting your pension contributions to maximise the size of your pension pot when the time comes.

What is your State Pension age?

Make sure you know your own State Pension age. You can check it in seconds using the government’s online State Pension age calculator here.

Also, check your National Insurance (NI) record to see if you have enough qualifying years to receive the full State Pension. In most cases, you’ll need at least 35 qualifying years to get the full amount. If you’ve spent time out of work or working part-time, you might have gaps in your record – but you may be able to make voluntary contributions to fill some or all of them.

Sources

Only 6 in 10 people surveyed by the IFS could correctly say when they’ll reach their State Pension age: How aware are people of next year’s state pension age increase? Institute for Fiscal Studies. Accessed 14 April 2025.

Government announces pensions review: Could Labour raise the state pension age – and what to? Independent. Accessed 1 August 2025.