DWP urges 1960s-born workers to check new State Pension age

A long-planned increase in the State Pension age from 66 to 67 is now underway, affecting hundreds of thousands of people born in the early 1960s. The Department for Work and Pensions is urging those approaching retirement to verify their exact eligibility date, as the change means many will have to wait several additional months before they can begin collecting their pension.

The phased adjustment began in April 2026 and will continue through March 2028. It directly impacts individuals born between April 6, 1960, and March 5, 1961, whose State Pension age will be extended incrementally based on their specific birth date. For example, a person born in April 1960 will become eligible at 66 years and one month, with the delay increasing by one month for each subsequent birth cohort until it reaches 67 for those born on or after March 6, 1961.

Officials emphasize that the State Pension does not start automatically and must be actively claimed. The Pension Service typically sends an invitation letter about four months before a person reaches their State Pension age. The DWP directs people to use the free online State Pension age calculator on the government's website to confirm...