The Normal Minimum Pension Age (NMPA) is changing

The NMPA is the age most people can take money from their pension.  The Government is making a change which is likely to affect the age you can take money from your pension savings.  We want to explain what this could mean to you,  so you can make sure your retirement plan is still on track to meet your needs.

The Normal Minimum Pension Age (NMPA) is currently age 55, this means that most people are able to take money from their pension when they reach age 55.

From 6 April 2028, the Government is increasing the NMPA to age 57, meaning most people will now have to wait until they’re 57 to take money from their pension savings.

Will this change affect me?

The list below could help you identify if this change will affect you

Date you were born How the NMPA increase will affect me
After 5 April 1973 The earliest date you can access your pension savings will be delayed by two years. You will have to wait until you’re age 57 to take money from your pension.
After 6 April 1971 but before 6 April 1973 You’ll have a window from your 55th birthday to 5 April 2028 to access your pension savings before the NMPA increases to 57.  If you choose not to take any pension savings during this period, you’ll need to wait until your 57th birthday.
On or before 6 April 1971 You won’t be impacted because you’ll already have reached age 57 by 6 April 2028.

There are some exceptions to this, such as having a Protected Pension Age (PPA), or if you’re suffering from Ill health.

What is a Protected Pension Age (PPA)?

Some schemes offered a new protection called the PPA. This was to allow their members to keep a minimum pension age of 55, meaning an increase to the NMPA won’t affect them.

To benefit from the new PPA from 6 April 2028:

  • individuals had to be a member of a pension scheme on or before 3 November 2021 and
  • the scheme rules, as at 11 February 2021, had to provide members with an unqualified right to take their benefits between age 55 and 57.

You can check whether you have this protection with your pension provider or Financial Adviser.

What do I need to do?

If you weren’t planning to take any of your pension savings before you reached age 57, you don’t need to do anything. However, if you had intended to take money from your pension savings before age 57, it’s a good idea to look at your retirement plan.

We recommend that you speak with a financial adviser

Even though the change is still just under five years away, a financial adviser will be able to support you planning for those extra couple of years, making sure you’re still on track to meet your needs.

If you don’t have an adviser, you can find one at moneyhelper.org.uk.

How can I find out more information?

To keep up to date with the latest Government information about the NMPA increase, you can visit gov.uk

Do I have an age 55 protected pension age?

To make this as simple as possible to find, we’ve added this information on to your latest annual statement. You can also contact your pension provider and Financial Adviser.