State Pension age rise to 68 timeline: what the law says
Official GOV.UK documents set the rise to 68 for between 2044 and 2046, with 67 due from 2026. A third review is under way, and it is examining the timing.
Key points
- Current law sets State Pension age at 67 between 2026 and 2028, then 68 between 2044 and 2046, according to GOV.UK.
- The third State Pension age review is under way and includes an assessment of the timing of the rise to 68.
- Pensions Minister Torsten Bell said he does not want people working into their 70s before they can get the State Pension.
- The proposed triple lock changes concern the amount of the pension, not the age at which it starts.
The State Pension age rise to 68 timeline remains set in law for between 2044 and 2046, according to GOV.UK, with the rise to 67 due between 2026 and 2028. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is carrying out the third statutory review of State Pension age, which includes an assessment of the timing of the rise to 68. The GOV.UK documents we have seen record no change to the dates.
The current State Pension age is 66 for both men and women. Anyone planning around the age at which they can claim is affected.
When does State Pension age increase to 68?
GOV.UK states that State Pension age is 66 and is “currently set to rise to age 67 between 2026 and 2028, and to age 68 between 2044 and 2046”. The Pensions Act 2014 brought forward the rise to 67, according to the independent report’s call for evidence. That document describes the same timetable as the “current legislated timetable”.
| Stage | State Pension age | Timing in current law |
|---|---|---|
| Now | 66 | Reached between 2018 and 2020 |
| Next rise | 67 | Between 2026 and 2028 |
| Following rise | 68 | Between 2044 and 2046 |
The change looks larger over time. From 1948 until 2010 State Pension age was 60 for women and 65 for men, according to the same document. A woman who would once have claimed at 60 will now wait six years longer at 66, and a man who would once have claimed at 65 will wait three years longer once the age reaches 68.
State Pension age increase: what the government decision review covers
The Pensions Act 2014 requires the government to review State Pension age regularly. Previous reviews concluded in 2017 and 2023, and the third is now under way, according to GOV.UK. It rests on two reports, one from the Government Actuary and one from an independent reviewer, Dr Suzy Morrissey.
The Government Actuary’s report must include “an assessment of current legislative timings for the rise to 68”, alongside commentary on life expectancy trends. Dr Morrissey has been asked to recommend a framework for future decisions “in light of the long-term demographic pressures the country faces”. Her remit covers the merits of linking State Pension age to life expectancy. The call for evidence notes that the UK does not currently use automatic adjustment mechanisms of that kind.
None of the GOV.UK material says what either report concludes. Until the government responds, the dates in law stand.
What the minister has said and what happens next
Separately, the government has announced changes to how the State Pension rises each year, and the proposals are disputed between the parties. Writing in WalesOnline, Pensions Minister Torsten Bell said the triple lock would be adjusted from April 2030. He said the aim was to guarantee yearly rises “without making people wait into their 70s to receive it”. Mr Bell added: “I don’t want people working into their 70s before they can get the state pension.”
Mr Bell said the Conservatives oppose the plans. Shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately criticised the government’s approach, saying the Prime Minister was “desperate for cash to pay for his new national care service”, according to the Press Association. The dispute concerns how the pension rises each year. The legislated State Pension age dates are separate from it and are unchanged.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said the Pensions Commission will deliver its final report next year. For your own planning, the GOV.UK State Pension age checker gives your exact date. It also shows your Pension Credit qualifying age and when you become eligible for free bus travel. Your State Pension forecast shows how much you can expect.
Your questions answered
Are they changing the pension age to 68?
Under current law, yes, but not yet. GOV.UK says State Pension age rises to 68 between 2044 and 2046. The third review is assessing the timing of that rise, and no decision to alter it appears in the documents published so far.
What are the new rules for the UK State Pension in 2026?
The age is still 66, with the rise to 67 scheduled between 2026 and 2028. The new State Pension needs 35 qualifying years for the full amount, and some pension builds from 10 years, according to GOV.UK. Mr McFadden told the Commons the full new State Pension is rising by £575 this year, and the triple lock currently applies.
How this article was produced
This story was researched, written and fact-checked by the Reported.News AI newsroom and edited by Alexander Ingram, our AI Money desk editor. Every claim is checked against the sources listed below. Our Editors, Jack Shaw, James Smith, Matthew Price and Suzy Eaton, oversee everything we publish. Read how we report.
Verification status
Sources (5)
- Check your State Pension age (GOV.UK, 23 Feb 2016)
- GAD and the State Pension age review (GOV.UK, 25 Jul 2025)
- Third State Pension age review: independent report call for evidence (GOV.UK, 18 Aug 2025)
- Three things you need to know about state pension announcement (Wales Online, 13 Oct 2026)
- Triple lock reform 'right answer to difficult question', says Pat McFadden (Nation.Cymru, 13 Oct 2026)
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Desk View · Opinion · Alexander Ingram (AiMoney)
The dates are law, not a new decision, and readers should not mistake the two. The position is that 68 is still scheduled for 2044 to 2046, while a review that includes those very dates has yet to report. The political argument is about how the pension rises each year, not the starting age. Readers can use the GOV.UK checker to find their own date, and the review's findings are the next thing to watch.
Opinion from our AI money desk, based on the verified facts above. This isn't financial advice.
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