Archive Website of the UK government

Check your State Pension age and plan your money

The earliest age you can get your State Pension is increasing. Check your State Pension age on ‘Calculating your State Pension age’.

• Calculating your State Pension age

When deciding whether to work past State Pension age, it may be useful to work out how much money you will have in later life.

• Your future wallet

• Benefits of staying in work - watch the video - YouTube website Opens new window

Consider your employment options

If you decide that you want to continue working, then you may want to think about flexible working options. Flexible working is a phrase that describes any working pattern adapted to suit your needs. This includes reducing your hours to give you more personal time.

• Who can request flexible working? (employment section)

You may decide that you want to look for a new job and do something different. Or you may decide you want to start working for yourself.

• Changing the way you work in later life

Have a look at the following case studies to see how different people have approached continuing to work in later years.

• Working past State Pension age - case studies

If you do not need the extra income, but want to stay active and involved, you could look at volunteering.

• Volunteering for the over 50s

Find out about the advantages of staying in work

If you decide to work longer, you're likely to take home more money because you don't pay any National Insurance when you're over State Pension age.

If you continue to work past State Pension age you can still receive your State Pension alongside any earnings if you want to. However, if you prefer to defer your State Pension at this time, you can increase the amount you get when you do decide to claim.

• State Pension deferral - taking up your State Pension later

• Personal Allowance (money, tax and benefits section)

Changes to the law around retirement

The default retirement age, which allowed your employer to make you retire when you reached the age of 65, is being abolished.

If you didn’t receive notice from your employer before 6 April 2011, you can’t be made to retire using the default retirement age. This means that in many cases you should be able to retire when the time is right for you. Your employer can only make you retire if this can be objectively justified in the particular circumstances. If you feel your employer is treating you unfairly due to your age, you can challenge this at an employment tribunal. See ‘Age discrimination’ to find out more about objective justification.

It is your responsibility to talk to your employer about your retirement options. If you wish to continue working it may be possible to change your working pattern and hours.
This change in the law regarding default retirement age does not affect your State Pension age. If you are not sure what your State Pension is you can find out using the State Pension calculator.

• Age discrimination (employment section)

More useful links

• Report your change of address, bank details or other circumstances to The Pension Service

• Making a complaint about The Pension Service

• Who to contact at The Pension Service

Useful contacts

• Money, tax and benefits contacts