Is the rising state pension age making people have to work for longer?

More people are staying in work for longer, with new figures showing that retirement now comes several years later than it once did.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), men are leaving work at an average age of 65.8 and women at 64.7 – the highest levels since records began in 1984. 

The rise is largely down to increases in the state pension age, which will climb again between 2026 and 2028.

Here, Which? explains what’s driving the change and how to check when you’ll qualify for the state pension and what you can do to prepare.

How retirement ages are shifting

Data from the ONS’s economic labour market status of individuals aged 50 and over series shows more people are staying in employment beyond the traditional retirement age.

The average age of leaving the workforce has reached 65.8 for men and 64.7 for women in 2025. Around the turn of the century, those averages were 63 and 61 respectively.

Employment rates for 65-year-olds have also risen to 42% for men and 29% for women, reflecting the impact of state pension age reforms.

One key factor has been the sharp rise in the state pension age for women from 60 to 66 since 2010, which has brought retirement patterns for men and women much closer together.

This still leaves around 876,000 older individuals (aged 50 to 64) are either actively seeking work, or are inactive but are willing or would like to work.

• Find out more: when can I retire?

When is the state pension age rising again?

The state pension age will rise from 66 to 67 between April 2026 and April 2028. After that, it is scheduled to increase again to 68 between 2044 and 2046.

Previous government reviews in 2017 and 2023 recommended bringing the move to 68 forward, but ministers decided to keep the current timetable.

A third review, led by independent expert Dr Suzy Morrissey, was announced in July 2025. 

The Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) will also update its life expectancy projections as part of the review. These findings will help determine whether the existing schedule remains fair and sustainable, taking into account life expectancy trends, generational fairness and the long-term cost of the state pension.

By law, the government must give at least 10 years' notice before making any change. With the review due to report in 2027, the earliest the rise to 68 could happen is 2037.

• Find out more: state pension age calculator

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The importance of the state pension

Reaching state pension age is a major milestone for many people. It is often the point when you decide to stop working or reduce your hours.

Research from pension company Quilter in August found that the state pension remains a vital source of income. Among those aged 70 to 74 in its survey, the state pension made up 47% of household income, rising to 50% for those aged 80 to 84.

In 2025-26, the full level of the new state pension pays £230.25 a week, or £11,973 a year. 

If you reached state pension age before 6 April 2016, you receive the basic state pension, worth £176.45 a week or £9,175.40 a year in 2025 to 2026.

Depending on your work history, you might also receive additional state pension on top of these headline amounts.

• Find out more: how much is the state pension?

How to get a state pension forecast 

If you want to know how much you are on track to receive, you can check your state pension forecast online in a few minutes.

Your forecast shows how much you could get, when you can start claiming, and whether you can increase the amount before you retire. 

The exact amount you get will depend on your National Insurance (NI) record and whether you were ‘contracted out’ of the additional state pension before 2016.

You need 35 years' worth of National Insurance contributions to get the full state pension and 10 years to get anything at all.  

If you have gaps in your National Insurance record you can pay to fill them and boost your state pension.

You can sign in for a forecast via www.gov.uk/check-state-pension with ID such as a passport or driving licence, or via the HMRC app.

• Find out more: your state pension forecast explained

What to consider if you keep working longer 

If you decide to stay in work beyond state pension age, there are a few important things to think about.

Continuing to work can help you build up more private pension savings and delay dipping into them, giving your money more time to grow. You can usually access a defined contribution pension from age 55 (rising to 57 in 2028), but taking it too early could mean you run out of money later on.

You might also choose to reduce your hours rather than retire completely, keeping some income coming in while easing into the next stage of life.

When Which? asked members about their retirement regrets, one of the most common was leaving work too soon. One member told us: ‘My regrets about retiring too early were about the loss of camaraderie and the craic with friends and workmates – adult conversation with people you trust and have done for many years.' 

Working until a ripe age can be very beneficial for both your mental and physical health.

• Find out more: the 4 biggest retirement regrets and how to avoid them.