The state pension age will be changing over the next couple of years, impacting millions

Millions of people of a certain age are being warned about upcoming changes to the state pension which may leave them waiting longer to claim.

Huge changes to the state pension are set to be introduced from next year, impacting households across the country.

Those who stand to be affected are people currently aged in their early 60s and below.

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In many cases, they will have to work for longer until they can retire and claim the state pension.

The pension age is set to gradually start increasing from May 2026 – just over a year’s time.

It will gradually rise to 67, meaning those affected will have to wait a year longer than they would have under the current system.

People who were born in or after April 1960 will be affected by the changes – that is people who will be turning 65 this year.

The shake-up will have a big impact on people currently in their 50s and early 60s as most of them will likely have to wait until they are 67 to get their state pension.

And they will likely have to keep working unless they have enough savings or are financially comfortable enough to retire early.

It will be the biggest change to the state pension in years and reflects the ageing population.

The pension age could then increase again to 68 between 2044 and 2046.

The charity Age UK explained: “The state pension age is currently 66 years old for both men and women but will start gradually increasing again from May 6, 2026.

“State pension age is gradually increasing for men and women, and will gradually rise to 67 for those born on or after April 1960.

“State pension age is going to be kept under review, which means that it could change again in the future.

“This depends on different factors, such as changes in life expectancy.”