Take Action Before Normal Retirement Age Increases from 55 to 57
Published / Last Updated on 30/10/2025
State Pensions
With effect from 6th April 2028, the State Pension Age (SPA) increases again to age 67.
- Most people will be aware that state pension age used to be 65 for men and 60 for women.
- SPA was then equalised over a period between April 2010 and November 2018 for both men and women to have an SPA of 65.
- SPA was then increased again over a period between December 2018 and October 2020 for all to age 66.
- SPA will gradually start to increase again next year from 66 to 67 for those born between April 1961 and April 1977, over the coming period April 2026 to April 2028.
- Finally, SPA will again gradually increase from 67 to 68 for those born after 5th April 1977 onwards during the period April 2044 to April 2046.
Private and Company Pensions Normal Retirement Age
You may or may not be aware that the minimum retirement age, usually referred to as Normal Retirement Age (NRA) usually has a 10-year link to SPA.
- Minimum NRA used to be age 50 (10 years behind the old female SPA of 60).
- Minimum NRA was then increased to 55 (10 years behind the equalised SPA of 65).
- Minimum NRA will increase from age 55 to age 57 from 6th April 2028. This is less than 2.5 years away.
Don’t Get Caught Out on NRA
- If you were born after 5th April 1973, you will not reach age 55 until 6th April 2028 onwards. This means will be have a SPA of 67 and a minimum NRA of 57.
- If you were born before 6th April 1971, you will have already reached the NRA of age 55, so can take your pension benefits and even when the rules change on 6th April 2028, you will already be 57 or older, so the increase will not affect you.
- If you were born between 6th April 1971 and 5th April 1973, you reach age 55 (NRA) on 6th April 2026 and 5th April 2028 respectively.
- This means you can start taking pension benefits from age 55 e.g., right up until 5th April 2028.
- If you do not take pension benefits by 5th April 2028, you will get caught by the new NRA of 57 on 6th April 2028, meaning you must now wait until you reach age 57 before you can access your private and company pension funds.
- E.g. Date of Birth 1st January 1973.
- You reach age 55 on 1st January 2028. You can access your private and company pensions at age 55.
- If you do not access private and company pension benefits before 6th April 2028, you must then wait until 1st January 2030, when you reach NRA 57 to access your private and company pensions.
Protected Pension Ages
When the above changes take place, some pension savers may have some protection and keep a protected pension age of below 57.
Protected Pension Age applies only if all the following are true
- You had money invested in the private or company pension on 3 November 2021.
- The pension scheme rules of your pension (trust deed and rules) give an absolute, documented right to take your pension from an age earlier than 57.
- These same written pension scheme rules must have been in place on 11 February 2021.
Scheme Wind Up and/or Bulk Transfer? You may also have a protected pension age if your pension scheme was transferred to a new pension scheme provider as part of a bulk/block transfer after 11 February 2021 meaning any protected pension age will also be migrated. The new scheme must also have met the same requirements on 3rd November 2021.
