UK pensioners born on one date or later will be hit by huge losses in 2026, an expert explained(Image: Getty Images)
A BBC expert has slammed the government over a ‘great pensions steal’, with people born on one date losing out to the tune of almost £13,000. Paul Lewis, who hosts Money Box on Radio 4, outlined how the rise in pension age next April will especially impact one age group.
The State Pension age is set to rise from 66 to 67 between April 2026 and March 2028. This alteration, enacted through the Pensions Act 2014, impacts individuals born from April 6, 1960, onwards.
The exact date you will reach the new State Pension age depends on your specific date of birth, with the increase rolled out gradually during this two-year timeframe.
In his blog, Mr Lewis outlined that anyone born after this date was going to lose out: “Anyone born 6 April 1960 or later will not get their state pension at 66. They will have to wait up to 12 months after that birthday to qualify, costing them up to £12,849 in lost state pension.
“The rise in state pension age will happen in stages linked only to date of birth. It will be identical for men and women and apply throughout the UK.”
He outlined that he has undertaken calculations which demonstrate that people born on 6 April 1960 or later lose out by £12,849 through receiving their pensions later. He outlined: “The actual loss for any individual will depend on the day of the week which is their payday. That is a weekday from Monday to Friday and depends on their National Insurance number.
“The loss assumes the individual gets a full New State Pension and assumes that will be £241.05 from 6 April 2026 and £247.10, an increase of 2.5 per cent, from 12 April 2027. The state pension is accumulated weekly so there are four or five weekly payments in a month which accounts for the difference between the minimum and maximum losses. No account is taken of the up to six days pension that is paid between the birthday and the first payday.”
The Pensions Act 2014 accelerated the rise in the State Pension age from 66 to 67 by eight years. The UK Government also adjusted the timing of the State Pension age rise, meaning that rather than reaching State Pension age on a particular date, individuals born between 6 March 1961, and 5 April 1977, will be entitled to claim the State Pension once they reach 67.
Specialists say that people must prepare for the alterations so they won’t face financial shock.
Everyone affected by modifications to their State Pension age will receive correspondence from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Chancellor Rachel Reeves last month said an assessment which could see the age being raised even further is required to ensure the system is “sustainable and affordable”.
The Government review is scheduled to report in March 2029 and Ms Reeves said it was “right” to examine the age at which people can receive the state pension as life expectancy rises. The state pension age currently stands at 66, with plans to increase it to 67 by 2028, and the Government is legally obliged to review this age periodically.
Speaking to journalists, the Chancellor said: “We have just commissioned a review of pensions adequacy, so whether people are saving enough for retirement, and also the state pension age. As life expectancy increases it is right to look at the state pension age to ensure that the state pension is sustainable and affordable for generations to come.
“That’s why we have asked a very experienced set of experts to look at all the evidence.”
The Department for Work and Pensions announced the review, which will include an independent report led by Dr Suzy Morrissey, focusing on factors relevant to the Review of State Pension Age, along with the Government Actuary’s Department’s analysis of the latest life expectancy projections data.
Rachel Vahey, head of public policy at AJ Bell, commented: “An increase to state pension age from 66 to 67 is already slated to happen between 2026 and 2028. But it’s less clear what will happen after that.
“There is also an increase to age 68 pencilled in for 2046, but a faster increase is definitely on the cards. The first two reviews of the state pension age advocated bringing this forward, but successive governments have treated the issue like a hot potato.
“This latest state pension age review, however, may eventually force the government’s hand. State pension benefits are one of the single biggest expenses for the Treasury and account for more than 80 per cent of the £175 billion pensioner welfare bill.”
To read the full blog post click here.