The state pension age is the earliest age you can start claiming your state pension from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) – and some benefits will also stop when you reach it

If you claim benefits, you may not realise some payments will stop once you reach state pension age.

The state pension age is the earliest age you can start claiming your state pension from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Currently, the state pension age for both men and women is 66. This is set to increase to 67 between 2026 and 2028, and a further rise to 68 is expected between 2044 and 2046, although this could be brought forward. When you reach state pension age, some of your existing benefits will stop – but you may become eligible for different payments.

According to the national benefits charity Turn2Us, once you reach the state pension age, you will no longer be able to claim:

  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Income Support
  • Universal Credit
  • Contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Contributory Employment and Support Allowance
  • Bereavement Support Payment
  • Widowed Parent’s Allowance

You also cannot make a new claim for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) once you have reached state pension age. However, if you are already claiming DLA or PIP, you might be able to renew the claim even if you are over the state pension age.

However, this can only be done if you are claiming for the same health conditions for which you received the original award and your last claim ended less than 12 months before you reached state pension age. Although you do lose some benefits, there are some you can continue claiming and these include:

  • Child Benefit
  • Carer’s Allowance
  • Guardian’s Allowance
  • Statutory Sick Pay

You can also claim these benefits as long as your income is low enough:

  • Housing Benefit
  • Council Tax Support
  • Support for Mortgage Interest
  • Working Tax Credit (you can’t make new claims for this, but if you’re already getting it you can carry on receiving it)
  • Child Tax Credit (you can’t make new claims for this, but if you’re already getting it you can carry on receiving it)
  • Help with Health Costs
  • Cold Weather Payment
  • Warm Home Discount Scheme

The following benefits are also only available to people above a certain age:

  • State Pension (state pension age)
  • Pension Credit (state pension age)
  • Attendance Allowance (state pension age)
  • Winter Fuel Payment (state pension age and claiming certain benefits)
  • Savings Pension Credit (age 65 and above – this is being phased out)

For more details about benefits when you reach the state pension age, visit the Turn2Us website here.

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