People have been urged to do a five-minute check ahead of changes to state pension eligibility coming in from next year.

You can currently claim your state pension when you reach the age of 66, but this is gradually increasing to 67 from April 2026 to April 2028.

If you are in the age range where this could mean your state pension age going up, it’s worth checking exactly when your qualifying age will be.

Fiona Peake, personal finance expert at Ocean Finance, said: “Checking your state pension age is easy to do online and takes less than five minutes.

“You just need to go to the Government’s website and put in your date of birth. It’ll tell you the exact date you can claim your state pension.

“Knowing that date helps you plan around it, whether that means topping up your savings now, adjusting when you plan to retire or looking into other types of support you might be able to get in the meantime.”

She said it’s important for people to know when their state pension age is as it could cause major issues if a person has to wait longer than they expected to claim their payments.

The expert warned: “If you were expecting to get that money from a certain date and it turns out you won’t, you could be left with a gap of hundreds or even thousands of pounds depending on how long you need to wait.

“This can hit particularly hard if you don’t have much in private savings or if you’ve already started slowing down at work – you may have to dip into your savings sooner than planned or carry on working longer to cover everyday costs.”

You can usually apply for your state pension up to four months before you reach state pension age. You should get a letter from the DWP in the months leading up to your state pension age inviting you to apply, with an invitation code you can use to start your application online.

Ms Peake also encouraged people planning for their retirement to check their National Insurance (NI) record in case you have any gaps in your record that you could fill to increase your state pension.

A person typically needs 35 years of full NI contributions to get the full new state pension, which currently pays £230.25 a week.

Another finance expert encouraging people to check their state pension age is Kristian Manton, financial adviser at Octopus Money.

He encouraged people to look over their finances in case they have to wait longer for their state pension to kick in. Mr Manton said: “A delay of even a few months can have a serious impact if your household budget is tight, potentially leaving you short and starting retirement on the back foot.

“That’s why it’s worth reviewing your planned spending and other sources of retirement income as early as possible. We’re also seeing more people considering phased retirement – reducing their working hours or switching to part-time work – to ease the transition and manage their finances as state pension changes come into effect.”