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Minimum pension age

What is the normal minimum pension age?

The normal minimum pension age (NMPA) is the earliest age most people can access their workplace or personal pensions without incurring a significant tax charge. However, people can access their pension benefits earlier due to ill-health or if they have a “protected pension age.”

Since April 2010, the NMPA has been 55 years old. Before that, it was set at 50 years old when introduced as part of a large pension tax simplification in April 2006. The NMPA will increase to 57 on 6 April 2028.

The NMPA is different from the state pension age. Information about this is available in the Library briefing on the state pension age review.

Protected pension age

In certain circumstances people have a “protected pension age” and can access their pension earlier than their NMPA:

• People in certain professions with traditionally low retirement ages (such as sports people) who had the right to take pension benefits before age 50 before April 2006 can keep that right with a protected pension age.
• People may have a protected pension age if they had an unqualified right to take pension benefits before age 55 on 5 April 2006. This means they did not need anyone’s consent to take their pension benefits.

Increase to age 57

From 6 April 2028, the NMPA will increase to 57. This change, made by the Finance Act 2022, will not apply to the public service pension schemes for the armed forces, police, and firefighters.

People who were members of a scheme on 3 November 2021 with an unqualified right to take a pension before age 57 will keep this right. Additionally, those who previously had a protected pension age below 55 will keep it.