Long gone are the days when women qualified for their state pension at 60 and men at 65.
But changes have seen the retirement age for both sexes increase, starting at 65, and since gradually creeping up to the age of 68.
This includes the changes which left the Waspi women – mostly born in the 1950s – fighting for a fairer deal.
From May 6 2026, the state pension age will start increasing again and will reach 67 by March 6, 2028 – this affects anyone born between April 6, 1960 and April 5, 1977.
Quick Poll: Should State pay the compensation Parliamentary Ombudsman says is due to women born in the 50s (Waspi), due to maladministration in letting em know their state pension age was being increased? Govt's apologised but said other priorities for the £3.5bn to £10bn
— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) December 17, 2024
The DWP website has a checker for the exact date you get your state pension, but there's a warning that it "is regularly reviewed, so the results of this tool may change in the future."
How much will my state pension be?
This depends on your age. The full state pension is currently £221.20 per week, or £11,502 annually. This will rise to £230.30 weekly, or £11,975 annually, from April 2025, but this depends on how many National Insurance contributions you have made.
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This includes National Insurance contributions that you pay when you are working and contributions that are credited to you when you are unable to work, or when you were in receipt of Child Benefit in your name.
You can check out how much you will get by going to the DWP State Pension website. You can see how many complete years of National Insurance contributions you have made and a forecast of how much you will get.
You can also see
- your Pension Credit qualifying age
- when you’ll be eligible for free bus travel
What is the additional state pension?
The additional state pension is an extra amount of money you could get on top of your basic State Pension if you’re:
- a man born before April 6 1951
- a woman born before April 6 1953
You get the new state pension if you were born on or after this date. The additional state pension is paid with your basic state pension.
Can I claim my state pension while still working?
Citizens Advice says: “You can choose to keep on working, whether paid or on a voluntary basis, while claiming your state pension.
“Any money you earn will not affect your state pension, but it may affect your entitlement to other benefits such as pension credit, housing benefit and council tax reduction.”
How do I claim pension credit?
You may also be able to claim pension credit when you reach state pension age. You can apply on the government website.
Pension credit tops up your weekly income to £218.15 if you’re single, or your joint weekly income to £332.95 if you have a partner.
If your income is higher, you might still be eligible for pension credit if you have a disability, you care for someone, you have savings or you have housing costs.
Your income includes:
- state pension
- other pensions
- earnings from employment and self-employment
- most social security benefits, for example Carer’s Allowance
Your savings and investments
If you have £10,000 or less in savings and investments this will not affect your pension credit.
If you have more than £10,000, every £500 over £10,000 counts as £1 income a week. For example, if you have £11,000 in savings, this counts as £2 income a week.
