The UK State Pension is paid to people of State Pension age who have made sufficient National Insurance (NI) contributions during their lifetime.
In this guide to the State Pension, we look at everything from how it’s calculated to future changes in the age at which people will start to receive it. We also explain when and how to claim your State Pension, how to check your National Insurance record and whether you could increase the amount you receive.
How much is the State Pension?
The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week in 2026/27, equivalent to around £12,547 a year if paid for 52 weeks.
Not everyone will receive the full amount. How much you will receive depends on how many full years of National Insurance contributions (NICs) you have made, or how many are credited to you.
You can check how much State Pension you can expect to receive by requesting a State Pension Forecast on the Government website.
It’s important to check your personal State Pension forecast to be absolutely sure, rather than simply count up the years you think you’ve paid National Insurance.
Your forecast can tell you:
When you can claim your State Pension.
How much you could receive.
Whether you can increase your entitlement.
How much you might gain by filling certain gaps in your National Insurance record.
What is the State Pension triple lock guarantee?
The State Pension triple lock guarantee ensures that the State Pension increases each year on 6 April by whichever is the highest of the following:
Earnings – the average percentage growth in UK wages.
Prices – the percentage growth in prices in the UK as measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI).
2.5%
This means the amount you receive can change from one tax year to the next. The triple lock applies to the basic and new State Pension, subject to the relevant rules.
Does everyone get a State Pension?
The UK State Pension is made to those who have reached the qualifying age, and who have made enough National Insurance contributions during their lifetime.
Your record will need to have at least ten qualifying years for State Pension to pay you anything, although there are some exceptions to this which we will discuss further on. If you have 35 full years of NICs then you will qualify for the full State Pension.
If you qualify then you will receive payments typically every four weeks, paid from a government pot of money funded by taxpayers.
When will I get my State Pension?
The age at which you become eligible is known as your State Pension age, and it depends on your date of birth.
The State Pension age is currently 66, meaning — for the time being at least — your first payment will be made to you within five weeks of your 66th birthday.
When is the State Pension age changing?
The State Pension age is currently increasing from 66 to 67. The change is being phased in between 2026 and 2028, so some people will reach State Pension age at 66 and a few months, rather than exactly 66 or 67. Those born from 6 March 1961 onwards will generally reach State Pension age at 67 under the current timetable.
The State Pension age is currently legislated to rise again from 67 to 68 between 2044 and 2046. The timetable is subject to review, so it could change in the future.
You can find out your own State Pension age by using the gov.uk pension age calculator.
Below is the timetable showing the increase from 66 to 67. | |
|---|---|
Date of birth | State Pension age |
6 April 1960 – 5 May 1960 | 66 years and 1 month |
6 May 1960 – 5 June 1960 | 66 years and 2 months |
6 June 1960 – 5 July 1960 | 66 years and 3 months |
6 July 1960 – 5 August 1960 | 66 years and 4 months |
6 August 1960 – 5 September 1960 | 66 years and 5 months |
6 September 1960 – 5 October 1960 | 66 years and 6 months |
6 October 1960 – 5 November 1960 | 66 years and 7 months |
6 November 1960 – 5 December 1960 | 66 years and 8 months |
6 December 1960 – 5 January 1961 | 66 years and 9 months |
6 January 1961 – 5 February 1961 | 66 years and 10 months |
6 February 1961 – 5 March 1961 | 66 years and 11 months |
6 March 1961 – 5 April 1977 | 67 |
You can double-check your State Pension age with the government’s online State Pension age checker. And remember, State Pension age is not necessarily the same as your retirement age. You can usually access a final salary pension or money purchase pension before you reach State Pension age, with the age depending on the scheme rules.
When and how do I claim my State Pension?
One of the easiest mistakes to make is assuming your State Pension will simply start when you reach State Pension age.
It won’t. You have to claim it.
You should normally receive an invitation letter before you reach State Pension age, explaining how to claim.
You can claim your new State Pension:
Online. Use the government’s State Pension claim service.
By phone. You can call the Pension Service if you’re within four months of reaching State Pension age. Call 0800 731 7898, lines open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm (except public holidays).
By post. Request a claim form via telephone from the Pension Service (see number above).
You’ll need some personal information to make your claim, including your bank or building society account numbers and details of any time you’ve lived or worked abroad.
You’ll also need to have the invitation code from the letter you are sent about getting your State Pension. If you haven’t received one and you’re within three months of reaching State Pension age, you can request an invitation code.
Can I increase my State Pension income?
If you are not quite on track for the full UK State Pension then you may be able to boost the amount that you receive. Here are some ways that you may be able to do that:
Top up your National Insurance contributions. If you have gaps in your National Insurance record then you might be able to make voluntary NI contributions. How much these are and if you are eligible will depend on your individual circumstances. Don’t assume that paying to fill every gap will increase your State Pension, though. Voluntary contributions don’t always result in a higher pension. This can be particularly important if you were contracted out of the Additional State Pension before 2016.
There are also time limits to consider. In general, you can pay voluntary contributions for gaps in the previous six tax years, with the deadline falling on 5 April each year.
If you haven’t checked your National Insurance record recently, it could be worth doing. You might discover that you’re on track for the amount you expected or find there’s an opportunity to improve your entitlement.
Unsure of how many years of contributions you have already? Click here to view your National Insurance record.
Apply for Carer’s Credit. If you are a carer and don’t work then you may be eligible for Carer’s Credit. This can help you to maintain your NI record for the purposes of achieving a higher State Pension. If you care for someone for 20 hours per week or more then you can find out more about Carer’s Credit here.
Apply for NI credits based on ill health. You may be able to get NI credits if you are unable to work due to illness. This could be the case if you are receiving Statutory Sick Pay and do not earn enough to make a qualifying year. Read more about who is eligible for NI credits here.
Spousal benefits. You might be able to increase or inherit a State Pension income if you are/have been married or in a civil partnership. This may be the case if you are not eligible for the basic State Pension, or your basic State Pension is less than a certain level per week. You can read more about increasing or inheriting your State Pension from a partner here.
Apply for Pension Credit. If you have a low income then you should check if you are eligible for Pension Credit. Though this is separate to claiming State Pension, it is a top up for your pension income, so you must have reached State Pension age to qualify. Pension Credit tops up your weekly income to £238 if you’re single, or your joint weekly income to £363.25 if you’re claiming as a couple.
Could deferring your State Pension give you more?
You don’t have to claim your State Pension as soon as you become eligible. If you decide to delay claiming, you can potentially receive a higher income later.
For people reaching State Pension age under the current rules, you need to defer for at least nine weeks. Your State Pension then increases by 1% for every nine weeks you defer, which works out at around 5.8% for every full year.
For example, based on the 2026/27 full new State Pension of £241.30 a week, deferring for a full year would add around £13.99 a week to your eventual State Pension, assuming you qualify for the full amount.
There are however some points to consider about deferring State Pension income which you may wish to take advice on or research further. You’ll be giving up the income you could have received while you defer, so it’s worth considering how long it could take to recoup that lost income through the higher payments.
And, depending on how long you defer, the higher payments you go on to receive may take you over your current Personal Allowance for income tax. It may also affect which other benefits you qualify for, due to you having a higher income. This can include Pension Credits, Universal Credit, Income Support and more.
For some people, claiming the State Pension as soon as they’re eligible will make sense. For others, particularly those who have enough income from work or other pensions, delaying could be worth considering.
Differences between the old and new State Pension
There was a huge overhaul of the pension system in 2016, resulting in an old ‘basic’ State Pension and the New State Pension.
If you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, you’ll usually receive the basic State Pension. If you reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016, the new State Pension applies.
These are the key differences between them:
Old ‘basic’ State Pension | New State Pension |
|---|---|
For anyone who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016. | For people who reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016. |
The full basic State Pension is £184.90 a week in 2026/27 | The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week. |
You need 30 years of National Insurance contributions to get the full amount if born between 1945 and 1951. | You usually need 35 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions or credits to get the full amount. If you were contracted out before 2016, you may need more. |
If you have less than 30 years of NI contributions, you will get 1/30 of the full amount for each year that you do have. | You need at least ten qualifying years of NI contributions to get any State Pension. The years do not need to be consecutive. |
You may also get the Additional State Pension which is paid to you automatically if eligible. | You cannot get the Additional State Pension but can apply for Pension Credits if on a low income. |
Is the State Pension taxable?
The State Pension is taxable, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you will have to pay tax on it. It simply means that your State Pension income counts towards your Personal Allowance, which for 2026/27 is £12,570. This is the amount you can earn each year before paying income tax.
If you receive the full New State Pension it will pay you around £12,547 over the year - so if this is your only income you won’t have to pay tax on it. However, if your total income including the State Pension takes you over the threshold then you will have to pay tax on any earnings over £12,570.
Using an annuity to top up your State Pension income
You can turn certain types of personal and workplace pension into income with a pension annuity. An annuity can provide a guaranteed income for the rest of your life, or for a fixed-term if you prefer.
At Retirement Line, our friendly team can help you to compare annuity quotes and explore your various options.
As the UK’s leading annuity broker*, our specialist team at Retirement Line offers a full annuity information, quotation and arrangement service.
To speak to an annuity specialist call the Retirement Line team today on 01733 973038 or request a free call back here. Alternatively, calculate how much annuity income you could achieve using our free online tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much State Pension will I get?
How much you will get depends on your National Insurance record. You will need to have 35 years of full National Insurance contributions to qualify for the full State Pension, and a minimum of ten years’ contributions to receive any State Pension.
If you have 10–34 years of NI contributions on your record, how much State Pension you receive will depend on the number of years that you have. You may be able to get credits for gaps in your record if you are a carer or are unable to work due to ill health.
How much State Pension will I get if I have never worked?
If you’ve never worked, you may still have built up National Insurance credits through claiming benefits such as Child Benefit, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance or Carer’s Allowance.
If you have at least ten qualifying years of National Insurance contributions or credits, you’ll usually be entitled to some State Pension. The amount you receive will depend on your individual National Insurance record.
What happens if I carry on working after State Pension age?
Reaching State Pension age doesn’t mean you have to stop working. You can carry on working and claim your State Pension at the same time. Alternatively, you can choose to defer taking your State Pension while you continue to work, which would see you benefit from higher payments later when you do eventually claim for it.
Once you reach State Pension age, you’ll normally stop paying National Insurance, although you may still have to pay Income Tax if your income is high enough
How do I find out if my State Pension is correct?
If you have already reached State Pension age then you can contact the Pension Service to find out if your State Pension is correct.
They’ll also be able to tell you if you can claim Pension Credit and if you can get extra payments from a spouse / civil partner’s State Pension. If you’re in the UK, you can call the Pension Service on 0800 731 0469, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
If you’ve not reached State Pension age, contact the Future Pensions Centre for a forecast.
How do I contact DWP about my state pension?
You can contact the Department of Work and Pensions about your state pension by calling the government’s Pension Service on 0800 731 0469.
They can provide all the information you need about your State Pension, including how to claim your State Pension and how to update your personal details with them. If you live abroad, contact the International Pension Centre on +44 (0) 191 218 7777.
Is State Pension paid in arrears?
The State Pension is paid every four weeks in arrears. Being paid in arrears means that your pension is paid for the previous four weeks, rather than the coming four weeks. As the State Pension is paid in arrears, your first payment is typically paid to you within five weeks of you reaching State Pension age. It then switches to a four-week cycle, with 13 payments each full year. If you live abroad you can choose to be paid every 4 or 13 weeks.
