UK State Pension Calculator

For most people in the UK, the State Pension is the foundation of their retirement income. It's paid by the government for life, rises every year and isn't affected by investment markets. But how much you get, and when, depends on your National Insurance record and your date of birth.

This guide explains how the new State Pension works for the 2026/27 tax year. To estimate your own amount and State Pension age, use the UK State Pension calculator.

Who gets the new State Pension?

The new State Pension applies to men born on or after 6 April 1951 and women born on or after 6 April 1953. People who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 get the older basic State Pension, which has different rules.

How much is the full new State Pension?

For the 2026/27 tax year, the full new State Pension is £241.30 a week. That's about £1,045 a month, or £12,547.60 a year.

The State Pension usually rises each April under the triple lock, which increases it by whichever is highest of average earnings growth, inflation (the September CPI figure) or 2.5%.

Qualifying years

Your State Pension is based on your qualifying years of National Insurance. You get a qualifying year if you:

• work and pay National Insurance contributions, or
• receive National Insurance credits, for example when claiming Child Benefit for a child under 12, Carer's Allowance, Universal Credit or certain other benefits, or
• pay voluntary National Insurance contributions to fill a gap.

The key numbers are:

Each qualifying year is worth about £6.89 a week, or roughly £358 a year, for the rest of your retirement.

If you paid National Insurance before 2016

If you have National Insurance years from before April 2016, your amount is calculated using a "starting amount" that reflects the old system. If you were contracted out of the additional State Pension, for example through a workplace pension, your starting amount may be lower than the 35-year calculation suggests, and you may need more years to reach the full amount. Your official forecast takes all of this into account.

A worked example

Sam has 20 qualifying years so far and expects to add 8 more before State Pension age, making 28.

• 28 ÷ 35 × £241.30 = £193.04 a week
• That's about £10,038 a year in today's terms.
• Seven more qualifying years would bring Sam up to the full amount.

You can test your own figures in the State Pension calculator.

When can you claim? State Pension age

Your State Pension age depends on when you were born:

The government reviews State Pension age regularly, so the later rises could change. Always check your exact date on GOV.UK.

Filling gaps in your record

If you have gaps in your National Insurance record, you may be able to fill them by paying voluntary Class 3 contributions. You can usually pay for gaps from the past six tax years. Each year you fill could add about £358 a year to your State Pension, so it can be very good value, but it's worth checking first whether it would actually increase your pension. Your State Pension forecast will tell you if paying for a year would help.

Deferring your State Pension

You don't have to claim your State Pension as soon as you reach State Pension age. If you put it off, it increases by 1% for every 9 weeks you defer, which works out at just under 5.8% for every full year. The extra is paid for the rest of your life, and you need to defer for at least 9 weeks to get any increase.

Deferring can make sense if you're still working and don't need the income yet, but you'll need to live for a number of years to come out ahead.

The State Pension is taxable

The State Pension counts as taxable income, but it's paid without tax deducted. If your total income, including any private or workplace pensions, is above your personal allowance, the tax is usually collected through your other pension's tax code or by Self Assessment.