Use this tool to check
- When you'll reach State Pension age
- When you'll be eligible for free bus travel
- Your Pension Credit qualifying age
State Pension age by date of birth
Your State Pension age depends on your date of birth. Gender only makes a difference if you were born before 6 December 1953. Here is the timetable under current law.
| Date of birth | State Pension age | When you reach it |
|---|---|---|
| Before 6 October 1954 | 65 or 66 (60 to 65 for some women) | Already reached |
| 6 October 1954 to 5 April 1960 | 66 | On your 66th birthday |
| 6 April 1960 to 5 March 1961 | Between 66 and 67 | Between May 2026 and February 2028 (see below) |
| 6 March 1961 to 5 April 1977 | 67 | On your 67th birthday |
| 6 April 1977 to 5 April 1978 | Between 67 and 68 | On a fixed date between 6 May 2044 and 6 March 2046 |
| 6 April 1978 or later | 68 | On your 68th birthday |
If you were born between April 1960 and March 1961
You're affected by the rise from 66 to 67, which is happening now. Each month of birth adds one more month to your State Pension age. Use the calculator above for your exact date, or see our month-by-month guide for people born in 1960 and 1961.
Worked examples
- Born 20 August 1960: your State Pension age is 66 years and 5 months, so you can claim from 20 January 2027.
- Born 15 January 1961: your State Pension age is 66 years and 10 months, so you can claim from 15 November 2027.
- Born 14 June 1970: your State Pension age is 67, so you can claim from 14 June 2037.
- Born 10 September 1977: you're in the move from 67 to 68, so your State Pension date is fixed at 6 March 2045, when you'll be 67 years, 5 months and 24 days old.
- Born 2 March 1985: under current law your State Pension age is 68, so you can claim from 2 March 2053.
Is the State Pension age going up again?
Under current law, the State Pension age rises to 67 between 2026 and 2028, then to 68 between 2044 and 2046. The government has to review the State Pension age regularly, and the latest review is looking at whether the rise to 68 should happen sooner. Any change would need a new law, and the government has said it aims to give people at least 10 years' notice. This calculator always uses the law as it stands today, and we update it if the law changes.
How to claim, or put off claiming
Your State Pension doesn't start on its own: you have to claim it, and you can apply up to four months before your State Pension date. You can also put off (defer) claiming, which increases what you get later. Our guide to State Pension age and how to claim covers both step by step.
State Pension age is not your retirement age
There's no fixed retirement age in the UK. You can stop work whenever you can afford to, and you can carry on working after State Pension age. What's fixed is when you can take money from your pensions:
- State Pension: from your State Pension age, and no earlier.
- Workplace and personal pensions: usually from age 55, rising to 57 from 6 April 2028. Some older schemes have a protected pension age, so check with your provider.
If you'd like to retire before State Pension age, your own savings and pensions will need to cover the gap. Our Pension Projection Calculator can show whether that looks realistic.
Pension Credit and your free bus pass
Pension Credit is extra money for people on a low income. You can usually claim it once you reach State Pension age. If you're part of a couple, you'll normally both need to have reached it.
In England, you can get a free older person's bus pass when you reach State Pension age. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland you can get one from age 60, and in London the 60+ London Oyster card gives free travel from age 60.
Frequently asked questions
How does the State Pension age calculator work?
Enter your date of birth and the calculator works out your exact State Pension age based on current UK legislation. Because the government is raising the pension age in monthly increments, your specific birth date determines your exact date, not just your birth year.
What age will I get my State Pension?
It depends on when you were born. If you were born before 6 April 1960, your State Pension age is 66 (or earlier if you were born before October 1954). If you were born after that date, your State Pension age is higher, rising gradually to 67 by 2028, and eventually to 68. Use the calculator above to find your exact date.
What is the full new State Pension amount?
The full new State Pension is £241.30 per week (2026/27). You need 35 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions to receive the full amount, and at least 10 years to receive anything at all. You can check your NI record via your Government Gateway account.
Can I get my State Pension early?
No. You cannot claim your State Pension before you reach State Pension age, regardless of when you stop working. If you retire early, you'll need to rely on workplace or personal pensions, savings, or other income until your State Pension starts. For help planning that gap, try our Pension Projection Calculator.
Does my gender affect my State Pension age?
Only if you were born before 6 December 1953. For everyone born on or after that date, the State Pension age is the same for men and women.
Can I keep working after State Pension age?
Yes. You can work for as long as you like, and you can claim your State Pension at the same time. Once you reach State Pension age you also stop paying National Insurance on your wages.
What if I was born on 29 February?
If your State Pension date falls in a year without a 29 February, it moves to 1 March. The calculator works this out for you.
Jamie Kyte APFS
Jamie Kyte APFS is a Chartered Financial Planner and Independent Financial Adviser with over a decade of experience helping people plan for retirement. He specialises in retirement income planning, pension drawdown and helping clients make confident decisions about when they can afford to stop working.
Jamie holds the Chartered Financial Planner title awarded by the Chartered Insurance Institute, alongside the Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning (Level 6) and the Diploma in Financial Planning (Level 4). He is the founder of When Can I Retire? and Kyte Financial Planning.
Kyte Financial Planning is an Appointed Representative of ValidPath Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. You can verify Jamie’s regulatory status on the FCA Register and connect with him on LinkedIn.
More from JamieResults are based on current UK law (Pensions Acts 1995, 2007, 2011 and 2014) and match the official GOV.UK rules. The State Pension age is reviewed regularly and may change. This tool is for guidance only and is not financial advice.