The State Pension age is 66 for people born between 6 October 1954 and 5 April 1960. It is rising in stages to 67 for people born after that, with the change taking place between 2026 and 2028. The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week in 2026-27, and Treasury figures published with the Autumn Budget put its annual value at £13,036.40 for 2027-28. This guide explains when you can claim, how much you could get and what the Budget changed. All figures are as of October 2026.
State Pension age: when can you get it?
Your State Pension age depends on your date of birth. The government’s State Pension age timetable sets out the current law:
- Born 6 October 1954 to 5 April 1960: State Pension age is your 66th birthday.
- Born 6 April 1960 to 5 March 1961: State Pension age is 66 plus a set number of months, rising with your date of birth. This is the phased move to 67 that runs between 2026 and 2028.
- Born 6 March 1961 to 5 April 1977: State Pension age is 67.
- Born from 6 April 1977: under the Pensions Act 2007, State Pension age rises from 67 to 68 in stages between 2044 and 2046. People born on or after 6 April 1978 reach it on their 68th birthday.
The timetable gives worked examples. Someone born on 31 July 1960 reaches State Pension age at 66 years and 4 months, on 30 November 2026. Someone born on 31 December 1960 reaches it at 66 years and 9 months, on 30 September 2027. For an exact date, use the GOV.UK State Pension age checker.
Could the State Pension age change again?
Yes. The law requires regular reviews, and the Department for Work and Pensions describes this as at least every six years. The third review was launched in July 2025. It will draw on an independent report by Dr Suzy Morrissey and a report from the Government Actuary’s Department on life expectancy. Its findings could affect the timetable for younger people, so it is worth checking your date again from time to time.
How much is the State Pension?
There are two systems, and which one applies depends on when you were born.
- New State Pension: for men born on or after 6 April 1951 and women born on or after 6 April 1953. GOV.UK gives the full rate as £241.30 a week.
- Basic State Pension: for people born before those dates, sometimes with an Additional State Pension on top. The amount depends on your National Insurance record.
How many qualifying years you need
For the new State Pension you need at least 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to get anything. If your record started after April 2016, you usually need 35 qualifying years for the full amount. People who were “contracted out” before 2016 may need more. A qualifying year is one in which you:
- worked and paid National Insurance contributions
- received National Insurance credits, for example while unemployed, ill, or caring for a child or another person
- paid voluntary National Insurance contributions
How the triple lock works and what the Budget changed
Under the triple lock, the new State Pension rises each year by the highest of three measures: average earnings growth in Great Britain, CPI inflation or 2.5%. Any “protected payment” on top of the full rate rises with CPI only.
For April 2027, HM Treasury’s Pension Tax Allowance explainer gives the full new State Pension an annual value of £13,036.40 for 2027-28. That works out at £250.70 a week. MoneyWeek’s Budget coverage describes this as a 3.9% rise.
The bigger change is further off. The Budget 2026 document says the triple lock will be adjusted from the next Parliament. After that, the State Pension will track earnings over time, removing what the Treasury calls the “ratchet” effect that pushes it ever higher relative to earnings. The Treasury estimates this will reduce State Pension spending by £15 billion a year by the late 2030s and £50 billion a year by the late 2040s. It presents the change as part of a new settlement for older people that includes a National Care Service in England providing free personal care. You can read more background in our report on how the triple lock came under pressure before the Budget.
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Will you pay tax on your State Pension?
The State Pension counts as taxable income. With the Personal Allowance staying at £12,570 in 2027-28, the full new State Pension would on its own be slightly above the tax-free threshold. In the Treasury’s example, someone with only the full new State Pension would have owed £93.28 in income tax for 2027-28.
To stop that happening, the Budget introduced a Pension Tax Allowance from 6 April 2027. Here is how it works:
- It applies to people over State Pension age, or who reach it during the tax year.
- If your total income from all sources is no more than the full new State Pension, you get the full allowance and pay no income tax. The allowance is worth up to £94.
- Above that level, the allowance falls by £1 for every £3 of extra income. It disappears at £13,319.
- HMRC applies it automatically, so there is nothing to claim.
The Treasury estimates that around 500,000 pensioners will benefit in 2027-28, including around 290,000 who will pay no tax at all. It expects around 1 million to benefit by the end of this Parliament.
How to check and boost your State Pension
The simplest step is to get a forecast. The Check your State Pension forecast service on GOV.UK, also available in the HMRC app, shows how much you could get, when you can get it and whether you can increase it. In September 2026 HMRC said one in eight UK adults, about 6.9 million people, had never checked their forecast.
- Fill gaps: you may be able to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions to cover years missing from your record. Our report on people filling National Insurance gaps looks at how many have done this.
- Defer: if you do not claim at State Pension age, your pension is deferred automatically. When you do claim, you can usually take the extra as higher weekly payments, a lump sum or both, though the extra may be taxed.
- Check other help: people on low incomes may qualify for Pension Credit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the State Pension age in 2026?
It is 66 for people born between 6 October 1954 and 5 April 1960. For those born from 6 April 1960 it is moving in stages to 67, with the change phased in between 2026 and 2028.
How much is the full new State Pension?
£241.30 a week in 2026-27. Treasury figures give an annual value of £13,036.40 for 2027-28, about £250.70 a week.
How many years of National Insurance do I need?
At least 10 qualifying years for any new State Pension, and usually 35 for the full amount.
Is the triple lock being scrapped?
Not immediately. The Budget says an adjusted triple lock will apply from the next Parliament, after which the State Pension will track earnings over time.
Will I pay tax on the State Pension from April 2027?
Not if your total income is no more than the full new State Pension, thanks to the new Pension Tax Allowance. With total income of £13,319 or more, you pay income tax in the usual way.
This article is general information, not financial advice. Your own State Pension depends on your National Insurance record, so check your forecast on GOV.UK.
Sources: DWP, State Pension age timetable (accessed October 2026); GOV.UK, The new State Pension (accessed October 2026); GOV.UK, New State Pension: what you’ll get (accessed October 2026); DWP, Third State Pension age review (21 July 2025); DWP, Third State Pension age review: call for evidence (2025); HM Treasury, Budget 2026 (28 October 2026); HM Treasury, Pension Tax Allowance explainer (28 October 2026); HMRC, Almost 7 million adults in the dark about their State Pension (14 September 2026); GOV.UK, Delay (defer) your State Pension (accessed October 2026); MoneyWeek, Autumn Budget live (28 October 2026).
