Pensionable age is the age at which you can claim your State Pension from the UK government

Pensionable age is not a fixed number anymore. It changes depending on when you were born, and the government has raised it over time. For someone born after 1960, pensionable age is 68 or higher — the exact age depends on your birth date. The State Pension is the regular payment the government makes to you once you reach this age, as long as you have enough National Insurance contributions.

You do not have to stop work when you reach pensionable age. You can carry on earning and delay claiming your State Pension, which increases the amount you receive later. You can also claim before pensionable age in some circumstances, though this is rare and usually only applies to people with serious health conditions.

Key Takeaways

  • Pensionable age varies by birth date: anyone born after 1960 has a pensionable age of 68 or later, set by the government.
  • You can find your exact pensionable age by entering your date of birth on the UK government's State Pension checker tool.
  • Reaching pensionable age does not mean you must stop work or claim your State Pension immediately.
  • Delaying your State Pension claim after you reach pensionable age increases the amount you receive each week.

How pensionable age has changed over time

The UK government has gradually raised pensionable age since 2010. For decades, it was 65 for men and 60 for women. Between 2010 and 2018, women's pensionable age rose to match men's at 65. Then from 2018 onwards, pensionable age began rising for everyone born after 1960.

The Pensions Act 2014 set the current rules. For people born between April 1960 and April 1977, pensionable age rises in steps — usually by a few months for each birth month. For anyone born after April 1977, pensionable age is 67. For anyone born after April 1993, it is 68. The government has said it will review whether to raise it further, but no change has been confirmed yet.

This means two people born just months apart can have different pensionable ages. A person born in May 1960 has a pensionable age of 66, while someone born in May 1961 has a pensionable age of 66 and 4 months. The government's State Pension checker tells you your exact age without having to work it out yourself.

How to find your pensionable age

The fastest way is to use the State Pension age checker on the UK government website. You enter your date of birth and it tells you your pensionable age immediately. You do not need to log in or provide any other information.

If you are within four months of your pensionable age, you will also receive a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) telling you when you can claim. This letter arrives automatically — you do not need to ask for it. If you have not received a letter and you think you are close to pensionable age, you can contact the Future Pension Centre by phone or post to ask.

You can also view your State Pension forecast online if you have a Government Gateway account. This shows not only your pensionable age but also an estimate of how much State Pension you might receive based on your National Insurance record so far.

What happens when you reach pensionable age

Reaching pensionable age does not automatically trigger anything. You do not receive your State Pension unless you claim it. You must contact the DWP to start your claim, usually a few weeks before your pensionable age. The DWP will send you a claim form or invite you to claim online through your Government Gateway account.

Once you claim, the DWP checks your National Insurance record to see whether you have enough contributions to receive State Pension. You need at least 10 years of National Insurance contributions to receive any State Pension at all. You need 35 years of contributions to receive the full amount. If you have fewer than 35 years, you receive a reduced amount.

Your State Pension is paid weekly or monthly, depending on how you want to receive it. Most people receive it directly into their bank account. You can continue working after you reach pensionable age and claim State Pension at the same time — there is no earnings limit that stops you receiving it.

Delaying your State Pension claim

You do not have to claim your State Pension the moment you reach pensionable age. If you delay, the amount you receive each week increases. For every year you delay, your State Pension rises by roughly 5.8 per cent. This means if you delay for five years, your weekly payment is roughly 29 per cent higher than it would have been if you claimed immediately.

Delaying only makes financial sense if you expect to live long enough to benefit from the higher weekly amount. Someone who delays five years and then lives another 15 years will receive more total State Pension than someone who claimed immediately. Someone who delays five years and then dies within a few years will have received less in total.

If you delay claiming, you can still work and earn as much as you want. There is no penalty for earning while you wait to claim. You can also change your mind — if you delay and then decide you want to claim after all, you can do so at any point, and your pension will be backdated to your pensionable age (though usually only for up to three months).

Claiming State Pension before pensionable age

In most cases, you cannot claim State Pension before you reach pensionable age. However, there are rare exceptions. If you have a serious health condition and are not expected to live more than six months, you may be able to claim early. This is called Special Rules for End of Life. You need a healthcare professional to confirm your condition in writing, and the DWP makes the final decision.

If you reached pensionable age before 6 April 2016, different rules may apply to you, and you might have been able to claim Pension Credit or other benefits before your State Pension age. These rules no longer apply to people reaching pensionable age after that date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I find out how much State Pension I will receive?

You can see an estimate through your State Pension forecast online if you have a Government Gateway account. The forecast is based on your National Insurance record up to now and assumes you continue paying contributions until pensionable age. The actual amount may be different depending on your future contributions and any changes to the State Pension rules.

What if I worked abroad or lived outside the UK?

Years you worked abroad may count towards your National Insurance record if you paid contributions in those countries and there is a social security agreement between the UK and that country. You should contact the International Pension Centre to discuss your record. Some countries have agreements that allow contributions to be counted; others do not.

Does my pensionable age change if the government raises it?

If you have already reached your current pensionable age, it does not change. If the government raises pensionable age in future and you have not yet reached it, your new pensionable age will be the higher one. The government must give people at least 10 years' notice before raising pensionable age, so you would know well in advance.

Can I claim other benefits before I reach pensionable age?

You may be able to claim other benefits like Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance depending on your circumstances. These are separate from State Pension and have their own age rules. Once you reach pensionable age, you usually move off these benefits and onto State Pension instead.