What is the UK retirement age?

There is no retirement age in the UK. It was abolished in 2011, and no employer can make someone retire simply because of their age. What people usually mean by the question is one of two things, and both are moving. State Pension age is 66 and is rising to 67 between 2026 and 2028, with the first people affected reaching it during 2026. The earliest you can take a private pension is 55, rising to 57 on 6 April 2028.

Those two ages are unrelated to each other and neither obliges anyone to stop working. An employee can draw a State Pension and carry on in a job, and many do.

For employers there is a third date that matters more than either: the point at which an employee reaches State Pension age, their National Insurance stops and yours does not.

All figures are for the 2026/27 tax year and are current as at September 2026.

There is no official retirement age

The default retirement age of 65 was abolished on 6 April 2011 by the Employment Equality (Repeal of Retirement Age Provisions) Regulations 2011. Since then, dismissing someone because they have reached a given age is direct age discrimination under section 13 of the Equality Act 2010, and it is also likely to be unfair dismissal.

An employer can still operate a compulsory retirement age, but only where it can be objectively justified as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. That is a high bar and it is decided by an employment tribunal after the event, not by the employer in advance.

The leading authority is Seldon v Clarkson Wright and Jakes [2012] UKSC 16, in which the UK Supreme Court held that direct age discrimination can be justified only by aims of a public interest character, and identified two broad categories: inter-generational fairness, and the dignity of older workers. Both the rule itself and the specific age chosen have to be justified.

A small number of occupations keep a statutory retirement age, including some roles in the police and fire services. For almost every other employer, there is no age at which an employee can be required to go.

State Pension age, and the rise to 67

State Pension age is currently 66 for men and women. It equalised at 65 in November 2018 and reached 66 in October 2020.

The rise to 67 is happening now. Under section 26 of the Pensions Act 2014 it is being phased in for people born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961. The increase runs by one month for each month of birth across that window.

Date of birth	State Pension age
Before 6 April 1960	66
6 April 1960 to 5 March 1961	Between 66 and 1 month and 66 and 11 months, rising by month of birth
6 March 1961 onwards	67

 

The first people affected reach State Pension age during 2026, and the transition completes in 2028. Anyone born in that eleven-month window should check their own date rather than assume, because the answer differs month by month. The GOV.UK State Pension age tool gives the exact date.

The rise to 68 is legislated for 2044 to 2046 under the Pensions Act 2007, affecting people born from 6 April 1977. The 2023 review recommended bringing it forward to 2041 to 2043; the government did not accept that recommendation.

A third review was launched on 21 July 2025, with an independent report and a Government Actuary’s Department report. As at 30 September 2026 it has not reported, so the timetable above remains the legislated position. Anyone planning around the 68 date should treat it as subject to change.

When you can take a private pension

The normal minimum pension age is 55. It rises to 57 on 6 April 2028 under section 10 and Schedule 5 of the Finance Act 2022.

This catches people out because it is independent of State Pension age and arrives sooner. Someone who turns 55 in 2027 can access their pension. Someone who turns 55 in 2029 waits until 57.

A protected pension age exists for members who had an unqualified right under their scheme rules as at 11 February 2021 to take benefits earlier, provided they joined that scheme by 4 November 2021. Uniformed services schemes, including the police, firefighters and armed forces, keep a minimum age of 55 and are unaffected by the 2028 change.

Taking a pension early is not the same as being able to afford to. Drawing at 55 means funding potentially more than a decade before any State Pension starts.

What the State Pension is worth

Rates rose by 4.8% in April 2026, set by the earnings element of the triple lock.

	Weekly	Annual
Full new State Pension	£241.30	£12,547.60
Full basic State Pension	£184.90	£9,614.80

 

The new State Pension applies to men born on or after 6 April 1951 and women born on or after 6 April 1953. The basic State Pension applies to those born before those dates.

Note that the full new State Pension of £12,547.60 sits just below the £12,570 personal allowance. Anyone with income on top of it pays tax on that additional income.

Qualifying years

You need 10 qualifying years of National Insurance to receive any new State Pension, and 35 for the full amount. Between 10 and 35 you get a proportion. People with a pre-2016 record who were contracted out may need more than 35.

The extended window that allowed gaps to be filled back to 2006/07 closed on 5 April 2025. The normal rule now applies: voluntary contributions can be made for the past six tax years only. Anyone who was relying on the extended window has missed it.

You do not have to take it at State Pension age

Reaching State Pension age is not a deadline. The pension is not paid automatically: it has to be claimed, and anyone who does nothing is deferring by default.

Deferring increases the amount permanently. For the new State Pension, every 9 weeks deferred adds 1% to the weekly payment for life, which works out at just under 5.8% for every full year. The minimum deferral is 9 weeks, so stopping short of that adds nothing.

On 2026/27 rates, deferring the full new State Pension for a year raises it from £241.30 to roughly £255.30 a week, an increase of about £728 a year, for life. Set against a year of not receiving £12,547.60, the arithmetic takes around 17 years to break even, which is why deferral tends to suit people who are still working and would otherwise pay tax on the pension at their marginal rate.

That is the common case for a business owner who reaches State Pension age while still drawing income from the business. Taking the pension adds taxable income on top of what is already being drawn; deferring it does not.

What this means if you employ people

Three practical consequences, and the second one costs money if it is missed.

You cannot require an employee to retire

There is no age at which you can tell someone their employment ends. Asking about retirement plans is not itself unlawful, but doing so repeatedly, or only of older staff, is evidence of age discrimination. Performance and capability concerns about an older employee are handled through the same procedures as for anyone else.

National Insurance changes, but only on one side

When an employee reaches State Pension age they stop paying employee Class 1 National Insurance. You carry on paying the employer contribution.

	Position from State Pension age
Employee Class 1 primary	Stops
Employer Class 1 secondary	Continues, at 15% above the £5,000 secondary threshold
NI category letter	Change to C

 

The employee needs to show proof of age, such as a birth certificate or passport, and you change their category letter in payroll. Failing to do so means continuing to deduct National Insurance the employee no longer owes. There is no saving for the employer: the 15% secondary contribution is unaffected by the employee’s age.

Automatic enrolment duties change

Automatic enrolment applies to workers aged 22 to State Pension age earning above £10,000. Once an employee passes State Pension age they are no longer an eligible jobholder and you are not required to re-enrol them, although they can ask to join and you may still have to contribute.

For 2026/27 all automatic enrolment thresholds were frozen at their 2025/26 levels.

Item	2026/27
Age range	22 to State Pension age
Earnings trigger	£10,000
Qualifying earnings band	£6,240 to £50,270
Total minimum contribution	8% of qualifying earnings
Employer minimum	3%

 

Two changes to watch, neither of which is in force. The Pensions (Extension of Automatic Enrolment) Act 2023 contains powers to lower the age to 18 and to remove the lower earnings limit, but no regulations have been made and no timetable has been announced. Separately, the Pension Schemes Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026 and covers small pot consolidation, a value for money framework and default retirement income solutions, with most provisions requiring secondary legislation before they take effect.

When people actually retire

The legal position and the behaviour are different things.

According to DWP statistics published in September 2026, the average age of exit from the labour market is 65.8 for men and 65.1 for women. The figure for women is the highest since the series began in 1984.

The sharper number is what happens at State Pension age itself. The employment rate at age 65 is 46.6%. At 66 it is 33.1%, a fall of 13.5 percentage points in a single year of age, which tracks State Pension age rather than any change in capability.

For context on how long retirement now lasts, ONS national life tables for 2022 to 2024 put life expectancy at birth at 79.1 years for men and 83.0 for women.

Frequently asked questions

What is the retirement age in the UK?

There is not one. The default retirement age was abolished in 2011 and no employer can require someone to retire because of their age. State Pension age, which is what most people mean, is 66 and rising to 67 between 2026 and 2028.

Is the State Pension age going up to 67?

Yes, and it is happening now. The rise is phased for people born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961, with anyone born from 6 March 1961 reaching State Pension age at 67. The change completes in 2028.

When will the State Pension age rise to 68?

It is currently legislated for 2044 to 2046, affecting people born from 6 April 1977. A review launched in July 2025 has not yet reported, so that timetable could change.

Can my employer force me to retire?

Not in almost all cases. A compulsory retirement age is direct age discrimination unless the employer can show it is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim, which is judged by a tribunal. A few occupations, including some police and fire service roles, keep a statutory retirement age.

At what age can I take my private pension?

55 at present, rising to 57 on 6 April 2028. Some members have a protected pension age allowing earlier access, and uniformed services schemes keep 55.

How much is the State Pension in 2026/27?

The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week, or £12,547.60 a year. The full basic State Pension is £184.90 a week, or £9,614.80 a year. Both rose by 4.8% in April 2026.

Do I stop paying National Insurance when I reach State Pension age?

Employees stop paying Class 1 National Insurance from State Pension age. Employers keep paying the 15% secondary contribution, so the saving is the employee’s alone. The employer must change the National Insurance category letter to C once the employee provides proof of age.

Can I claim the State Pension and keep working?

Yes. There is no restriction on working while claiming, and no limit on what you can earn. The State Pension is taxable income, so earnings on top of it may increase your tax bill.