UK state pension age will soon need to rise to 71, say experts

Research on life expectancy and birthrates shows that ill health makes status quo unsustainable

• ‘I can’t take it much longer’: workers too young for UK pension

The retirement age will have to rise to 71 for middle-aged workers across the UK, according to research into the impact of growing life expectancy and falling birthrates on the state pension.

The UK pension age of 66 is set to rise to 67 between May 2026 and March 2028. From 2044, it is expected to rise to 68.