How does state pension age work?

The State Pension is regularly reviewed by the government to reflect changes in life expectancy and demographic trends. As a result, the age at which you can start receiving your State Pension may change in the future, so it’s important to stay updated.

The easiest way to check your current State Pension age and whether any changes are expected is to use the government’s online tool. You can find this at https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-age. The process is simple and consists of just three steps:

1. Visit the link and enter your date of birth.
2. Confirm your gender, as this may still affect pension age for some older age groups.
3. View the results to find out at what age you will become eligible for your State Pension.

This tool provides a straightforward way to understand when you can expect to start receiving payments and helps you plan your retirement effectively. Keep in mind that future changes to the State Pension age are possible, so it’s a good idea to revisit this periodically, especially if retirement is still many years away.

The value of pensions can fall as well as rise, you may get back less than you invested.