Over 60s urged to check state pension details ahead of DWP changes

The Department of Work and Pensions is encouraging people born between specific dates to use the online tool on the government website to check when they will be eligible to claim their State Pension. Not being aware of State Pension age increases could leave people short-changed about when they are expecting to start receiving up to £230.25 a week.

Next year, the State Pension age is set to start increasing from 66 to 67. The transition is anticipated to be completed for all men and women across the UK by 2028. In a recent post on X, previously known as Twitter, the DWP said: "Born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961? Check today to find out what your State Pension age will be."

Those born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961 will be the first to be directly affected by this change. According to the Daily Record, those born on 6 April 1960 will reach the State Pension age of 66 on 6 May 2026, while those born on 5 March 1961 will reach the State Pension age of 67 on 5 February 2028.

The DWP says it will send a letter well in advance to everyone impacted by changes to their State Pension age. Being aware of these changes ahead of time will allow people to adjust their retirement plan accordingly.

The State Pension age is the earliest age at which you can start receiving your State Pension. This may differ from the age at which you can access a workplace or personal pension.

The Pensions Act 2014 requires a regular review of the State Pension age at least once every five years. The most recent review, initiated last month, will scrutinise potential future increases, taking into account factors such as life expectancy, labour market conditions, costs and sustainability.

The review will be based on the principle that people should spend a certain portion of their adult life receiving a State Pension. Depending on the findings of the review, the UK Government may choose to make changes to the State Pension age.

However, any suggested changes would need to be approved by Parliament before they become law.

You can check your State Pension age online as well as your State Pension forecast. This will show, based on your National Insurance record, how much you are eligible for.

Typically, people need a minimum of 10 qualifying years, where they paid National Insurance contributions or received National Insurance credits, to get any of the new State Pension. These years don't have to be consecutive but the more years you have on your record, the higher the amount you can be eligible for.

Once you reach 35 qualifying years, you will receive the full new State Pension, which is currently provided at a rate of £11,973 a year. People can also fill any gaps in their National Insurance record by purchasing voluntary contributions.

In 2023, just over half of the 3.4 million people currently receiving the new State Pension are getting the full amount, according to analysis from Royal London. At that time, this was valued at £203.85 per week, but the State Pension increases annually due to the triple lock mechanism.