By David Bentley

Copyright birminghammail

The UK Government has confirmed that the State Pension age will soon begin to increase to 67 in stages, a change that will affect millions of people approaching retirement in the coming years. The rise will start to be implemented just months from now, rather than going from 66 to 67 in one go. What will happen is that a gradually increasing number of months will be added to the date when people would normally be due to get their State Pension. Some will have to wait an extra month, then two, then three, and so on. Amid potential confusion over when people can claim their State Pension from the DWP , we have looked at when the rise begins, how the transition works, who is most affected, and what you can do to prepare. READ MORE: The move is part of a broader trend of raising the national retirement age, which is set to continue. The pension age is currently 66, and earlier changes had already equalised men’s and women’s pension ages to 65 by November 2018. Under the current legislation, the State Pension age will increase to 68 between April 2044 and April 2046 but this could be brought forward to as early as 2037. According to what we know so far: Many people who are in their early to mid-60s right now will be spared – they will still qualify at 66. But those born slightly later may have to wait longer. Here are all the pension dates according to the Government’s own guidance. The list shows birth years in groups and the date you’ll qualify to receive your State Pension. As can be seen, this phased rise begins in May 2026. Beyond that, the State Pension age for men and women is set to rise to 68. The Government has announced a review to determine when the next change will be introduced. The rising pension age can create challenges for those in physically demanding jobs if they cannot keep working longer. Health conditions, disabilities, and caring responsibilities may make continued employment difficult. Q: Will age 67 be the final increase? No. It will rise again to 68, and then future legislation could push it up further, depending on demographics and finances. Q: Can I retire earlier than State Pension age? You can retire, but you won’t be able to claim your State Pension until you reach the legal age. Q: Does the rise to 67 affect people living abroad? Yes. If you’ve retired overseas and are eligible for a UK State Pension, the age you can claim will still depend on your birthday as shown in the list above. The amount payable will be based on whether you’re in a country that has a ‘reciprocal social security agreement’ with the UK; otherwise, it’s frozen at the rate when you emigrated (if you were already of pension age at that point) or became eligible to claim (if you reach pension age later). Around 480,000 recipients of the UK State Pension who are living overseas do not get State Pension increases, with the majority living in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Q: Will existing pensioners be affected? No – people already receiving the State Pension are unaffected. Their pensions continue as normal, with the usual annual uprating applied. Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp . Join our dedicated community for the latest updates sent straight to your phone as they happen. You can find out more about cost-of-living issues in our Money Saving Newsletter, which is sent out daily via email with all the updates you need to know on pensions , PIP , Universal Credit , benefits, finances, bills, and shopping discounts. Get the top stories in your inbox to browse through at a time that suits you.