The short answer: two pensions, two start dates
In shortYou build and claim two separate pensions; the link is timing, because alpha's normal pension age follows State Pension age.
The reason they interact is timing. The normal pension age in alpha is the later of State Pension age and 65, set by the Public Service Pensions Act 2013, which gives a lower age of 60 only to firefighters, police and the armed forces.
So an alpha member with a State Pension age of 67 has a normal pension age of 67, and the two start on the same date if you wait.
If you take alpha early, from 55 (57 from 6 April 2028), it is reduced, and you will have to bridge the years until the State Pension starts.
This guide explains the numbers, the ages, the effect of contracting out, and how to plan the gap, with plain worked examples. Our prison officer pension age guide and early retirement guide cover the workplace pension side in more depth.
The two retirement incomes
Workplace pension (alpha)
- For most officers, alpha in the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
- Paid by the scheme.
- Normal pension age is the later of State Pension age and 65.
- Not reduced because you receive a State Pension.
State Pension
- Paid by the Department for Work and Pensions.
- Needs enough National Insurance qualifying years.
- Administered and claimed separately from alpha.
How much is the new State Pension in 2026/27?
In shortThe full new State Pension is £241.30 a week, needing 35 qualifying years; you need at least 10 to get any.
- Full new State Pension£241.30 a weekAbout £12,548 a year
- For the full rate35 qualifying yearsIf your record began after April 2016
- Minimum for any10 qualifying yearsOn your National Insurance record
GOV.UK says the full rate of new State Pension is £241.30 a week. Multiplied by 52 weeks that is about £12,548 a year. It increases each April by the highest of average earnings growth, CPI inflation or 2.5%, a rule often called the triple lock.
The new State Pension applies to men born on or after 6 April 1951 and women born on or after 6 April 1953, so every prison officer still working falls under it.
These figures are the headline rates, and individual outcomes vary. A person with 30 qualifying years, for example, receives a proportion of the full rate. The forecast on GOV.UK is the best guide to your own entitlement; we do not estimate individual State Pensions here.
- Years with National Insurance contributions through work count as qualifying years.
- Years of credits (for example while caring for children) count.
- Years when you paid voluntary contributions count.
- If you have gaps, GOV.UK recommends checking your State Pension forecast to see your own position.
| Item | Figure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full new State Pension | £241.30 a week | About £12,548 a year (52 x £241.30) |
| Qualifying years for the full rate | 35 | Possibly more if you were contracted out |
| Minimum qualifying years | 10 | Needed for any new State Pension |
| Annual increase | Highest of earnings, CPI or 2.5% | Often called the triple lock |
| Eligible | Men born on or after 6 April 1951; women on or after 6 April 1953 | Everyone still in prison service |
Source: GOV.UK, New State Pension. Your own forecast on GOV.UK shows your personal figure.
State Pension age: 67 now, 68 coming, and a review in progress
In shortState Pension age is 67 now and 68 for those born from 6 April 1978, but a third review launched on 21 July 2025 could change the timetable.
The timetable could change. The government launched the third State Pension age review on 21 July 2025, with a call for evidence that ran from 18 August to 24 October 2025. As at 3 October 2026 the GOV.UK collection shows no published report or government conclusion.
Because alpha's normal pension age moves automatically with State Pension age, and applies to pension already built, any future rise or fall would change the unreduced age for your alpha pension too.
State Pension age timetable (GOV.UK, opened 3 October 2026)
- Born 6 March 1961 to 5 April 1977State Pension age 67
- Born 6 April 1977 to 5 April 1978Phased rise to 68
Reaching 68 between 6 May 2044 and 6 March 2046.
- Born from 6 April 1978State Pension age 68
A prison officer in their late 20s today is on course for 68; one in their 50s is on 67.
| Date of birth | State Pension age | Alpha normal pension age |
|---|---|---|
| 6 March 1961 to 5 April 1977 | 67 | 67 |
| 6 April 1977 to 5 April 1978 | 67 plus a phased number of months, reaching 68 between 6 May 2044 and 6 March 2046 | Same as State Pension age |
| 6 April 1978 onwards | 68 | 68 |
Alpha's normal pension age is the later of State Pension age and 65 (Public Service Pensions Act 2013, s.10). Legacy classic, premium and classic plus service has a normal pension age of 60, and nuvos 65.
Contracting out: why you might need more than 35 years
In shortBecause the civil service schemes were contracted out before April 2016, you may need more than 35 qualifying years for the full new State Pension.
GOV.UK explains that if your record began before April 2016 you may have been contracted out, and in that case you will usually need more than 35 qualifying years to reach the full rate of new State Pension.
The practical consequence for a long-serving prison officer is that your State Pension forecast may show less than the full rate even if you have worked for more than 35 years. That is not an error; it is the contracting-out adjustment, and some people can improve it by building more qualifying years after 2016.
We have not verified the detail of the deduction for civil servants, and it varies by individual. Alpha is contracted-in, so alpha service from 2015 does not carry the same deduction.
- Contracted out
- Before April 2016 the civil service pension schemes were contracted out of the additional State Pension, according to the GAD valuation table, which shows alpha as contracted-in. Members and their employer paid lower National Insurance in return for a promise that the workplace scheme would provide an equivalent.
- Starting amount
- Your entitlement is calculated from a starting amount that reflects your pre-2016 record, and a contracted-out deduction can reduce it.
Retiring before State Pension age: the gap and how to plan for it
In shortRetire at 60 and your State Pension is seven or eight years away; we found no bridging pension in alpha, and the early-retirement reduction is permanent.
- Earliest alpha age5557 from 6 April 2028, with a permanent reduction
- Pension paid at 60 (NPA 67)68.4%2019 GAD factor, historic and illustrative
- Pension paid at 60 (NPA 68)64.4%2019 GAD factor, historic and illustrative
- Gap if you retire at 607 or 8 yearsWith no State Pension
The reduction is calculated by the Government Actuary's Department and depends on how many years early you are and your normal pension age. The most recent factors we could open are from 1 August 2019, published by the Northern Ireland Department of Finance.
CSPS says that its calculators use new GAD factors for retirement dates on or after 1 November 2026, so the 2019 figures are historic and illustrative.
We found no bridging pension in alpha to fill the gap. Your income during those years comes from your reduced alpha pension, any lump sum, savings, AVCs, a partner's income or part-time work. Planning needs to include that gap explicitly.
| Age | Alpha pension paid (from £10,000 at NPA 67) | State Pension (if full rate) | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 to 66 | £6,840 a year | None | The gap: no State Pension yet |
| 67 onwards | £6,840 a year (still reduced for life) | Up to £12,548 a year | State Pension starts at State Pension age |
Early retirement reductions are permanent. The 68.4% factor is the 2019 GAD factor for age 60 and normal pension age 67; new factors apply to retirements from 1 November 2026. The State Pension figure is the full 2026/27 rate and your own may be lower.
Reading the illustration
Here is an illustration with made-up numbers. Suppose an officer retires at 60 with an alpha pension of £10,000 a year at normal pension age 67. On 2019 factors the pension paid is £6,840 a year.
From 67 the State Pension of up to £12,548 a year (if the full rate applies) would more than double their income. The long gap at the start is the difficult part.
The effective pension age option can help in a limited way: it lets you buy an unreduced pension up to three years before normal pension age (never earlier than 65) for pension earned from when you take it up.
Do the two pensions affect each other?
In shortNeither pension is reduced because you receive the other; the interactions are about age, tax and lump sums.
Your alpha pension is not reduced because you receive the State Pension, and the State Pension is not reduced because you receive alpha. There is no offset in the scheme rules that we found.
Both are taxable income, added together for income tax, and each April both increase: public service pensions increased by 3.8% from 6 April 2026 (the September 2025 CPI), while the State Pension follows the triple lock.
- Age link
- State Pension age determines alpha's normal pension age, so any change in State Pension age changes your unreduced age.
- Tax link
- The State Pension and your workplace pension are both treated as income in retirement, so large pensions can push you into higher tax bands, and the personal allowance applies to the total.
- Lump sum link
- If you take a lump sum by giving up pension, that is tax free within your allowances, but the smaller pension then increases each April by a smaller amount in cash.
Ill-health, death and State Pension
In shortAlpha has its own ill-health and survivor rules; the State Pension is separate and can only be claimed at State Pension age.
The two systems operate independently and it is worth checking both when planning for a partner. Our guides to survivor pensions and ill-health retirement go into those rules.
Two systems that operate independently
Alpha
- Ill health: the lower tier pays your accrued pension immediately with no early-payment reduction, and the upper tier adds a top-up.
- Decided by the Scheme Medical Adviser.
- Death: a survivor pension of 37.5% of the member's pension for a spouse, civil partner or a financially interdependent partner.
State Pension
- You can only claim State Pension at State Pension age.
- Other benefits may be available if you are unable to work; GOV.UK has details on those.
- Has its own rules for survivors that depend on circumstances.
A planning checklist for State Pension and workplace pension
In shortRun the same six checks every two or three years and again before any retirement decision.
Whatever your age, the same few checks apply. Do them every two or three years and again before making any retirement decision.
- Get your State Pension forecast from GOV.UK and note your qualifying years, the estimated amount and your State Pension age.
- Check whether you have gaps in your National Insurance record and whether filling them is worthwhile, using the forecast.
- Check your annual benefit statement for the scheme sections you hold and the age each can be paid unreduced.
- List the realistic retirement ages you are considering and the income needed in each year, including the gap before State Pension.
- Use a calculator for early retirement, remembering that new GAD factors apply from 1 November 2026.
- Review the plan if State Pension age policy changes after the third review.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the full State Pension in 2026/27?
GOV.UK says the full rate of new State Pension is £241.30 a week, which is about £12,548 a year if paid for 52 weeks.
You need 35 qualifying years for the full rate if your National Insurance record began after April 2016, and at least 10 to get any. Your own forecast on GOV.UK shows your personal figure.
Is my prison officer pension reduced by the State Pension?
No. We found no offset in the scheme rules: alpha and the State Pension are paid separately and neither reduces the other. Both are taxable income, added together for income tax. The link between them is timing, because alpha's normal pension age is the later of State Pension age and 65.
What is State Pension age for prison officers?
It is the same as for everyone. It is 67 for people born between 6 March 1961 and 5 April 1977, and 68 for people born from 6 April 1978, with a phased rise for those born between 6 April 1977 and 5 April 1978.
A third State Pension age review launched on 21 July 2025 had published no conclusion as at 3 October 2026.
Can I get my State Pension if I retire at 60?
Not until State Pension age, currently 67 and moving to 68. If you retire at 60 you have a gap of seven or eight years.
We found no bridging pension in alpha, so income in the gap has to come from your reduced alpha pension, lump sum, savings or other income. Plan for the gap before deciding when to leave.
Does contracting out mean I need more than 35 years?
Possibly. GOV.UK says that if your record began before April 2016 you may have been contracted out, and then you will usually need more than 35 qualifying years to get the full rate. The civil service schemes were contracted out before 2016. Check your State Pension forecast to see the effect on you.
Will the State Pension age rise to 68 for prison officers?
Under current law it rises to 68 between 2044 and 2046, phased by date of birth, and people born from 6 April 1978 onwards have a State Pension age of 68. The third review could change that. Alpha's normal pension age follows State Pension age automatically, including for pension already built.
Do public service pensions increase at the same rate as the State Pension?
No. Public service pensions in payment increased by 3.8% from 6 April 2026, matching the September 2025 CPI. The State Pension follows the triple lock, the highest of average earnings growth, CPI or 2.5%. The two can differ in any given year.
Is there a lower pension age for prison officers in alpha?
No. Section 10 of the Public Service Pensions Act 2013 gives 60 only to firefighters, police and the armed forces.
The POA campaigns for a change, and there was a Commons debate on 11 November 2025, but we found no decision to change the age as at 3 October 2026. Some legacy service has a normal age of 60.
Sources
- gov.ukGOV.UK: New State Pension, what you'll get
- gov.ukGOV.UK: New State Pension, eligibility
- gov.ukGOV.UK: State Pension age timetable
- gov.ukGOV.UK: Third State Pension age review
- legislation.gov.ukPublic Service Pensions Act 2013, section 10 (normal pension age)
- gov.ukGOV.UK: Public service pensions increase 2026 (3.8% from 6 April 2026)
- assets.publishing.service.gov.ukGAD: Civil Service Pension Scheme (GB) 2024 Actuarial Valuation Overview, 23 June 2026
- finance-ni.gov.ukGAD alpha early payment reduction factors, 1 August 2019 (NI Department of Finance)
- civilservicepensionscheme.org.ukCSPS: pension calculators (new GAD factors for retirements from 1 November 2026; transfer quotes)
- civilservicepensionscheme.org.ukCSPS: early retirement (minimum pension ages)
- poauk.org.ukPOA: '68 is too late' report, November 2025 (union survey, not independent)