UK Government to advance state pension age to 68 by 2037, affecting millions

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that the UK state pension age, currently scheduled to rise to 68 between 2044 and 2046 for people born in 1977‑78, is likely to be brought forward by at least seven years. Treasury officials told the Office for Budget Responsibility that the "current policy" is to move the increase to 68 to 2037‑39 rather than the legislated mid‑2040s timetable.

If implemented, the change would require roughly five million workers currently aged 49‑55 to work an additional year before qualifying for their state pension, costing each about £12,500 in delayed benefits. The Treasury estimates the earlier rise would save around £6 billion a year in public finances.

Sir Steve Webb, former pensions minister, said: "Anyone checking the Government's pension calculator would assume that the pension age won't be rising to 68 before the mid‑2040s… but within Government it is widely expected that the age increase will take place seven years earlier than the law currently says." The Office for Budget Responsibility has already incorporated this policy into its long‑term fiscal forecasts, though any change would still require new legislation passed by Parliament. The review of the state pension age, led by the Government Actuary, continues to assess timing against life‑expectancy trends and the sustainability of the pension system.