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The State Pension, explained without the jargon

Most people find out too late that their State Pension is smaller than they assumed. This page shows what you get, what decides it, and how to check your own figure today.

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The short answer

The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week in the 2026/27 tax year. You need 35 qualifying years of National Insurance for the full amount and at least 10 years to get anything. State Pension age is 66 for most people, rising to 67 between 2026 and 2028.

£241.30Full rate, a week, 2026/27
35 yearsNational Insurance for the full rate
10 yearsMinimum to get anything
66State Pension age now, 67 by 2028
What is on this page
  1. What the State Pension actually is
  2. How much you get
  3. How qualifying years work
  4. Filling gaps in your record
  5. When you can claim it
  6. What happens if you delay it
  7. Tax on the State Pension
  8. What the State Pension does not cover
  9. What to do this month

What the State Pension actually is

The State Pension is a taxable income the government pays you for life. It starts at State Pension age and rises most years. You cannot take it early, and you cannot take a lump sum from it.

It is built on your National Insurance record, not on how much you earned. A nurse and a director with the same record get the same amount. That surprises people who assume a bigger salary buys a bigger State Pension.

Anyone reaching State Pension age after 6 April 2016 gets the new State Pension. Older rules still apply to people who retired before that date.

How much you get

The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week in 2026/27. Over a year that is about £12,547.60. Most people get less than the full rate, at least at first.

Your record Roughly what you get What it means in a year
35 qualifying years or more £241.30 a week About £12,547.60
20 qualifying years About £137.89 a week About £7,170
10 qualifying years About £68.90 a week About £3,583
Under 10 qualifying years Nothing from the new State Pension You may still qualify for Pension Credit

The middle rows are worked out pro rata from the full rate. Your own figure can differ if you were contracted out before 2016.

Contracting out is the usual reason a forecast comes back lower than expected. If you were in a final salary scheme, you probably paid less National Insurance. You may need more than 35 years to reach the full rate.

How qualifying years work

A qualifying year is a tax year where you paid enough National Insurance, or were credited with it. You do not have to be working to get a credit.

  • Employment where you earned above the National Insurance threshold
  • Self-employment where you paid Class 2 contributions
  • Claiming Child Benefit for a child under 12
  • Claiming Carer's Allowance, Jobseeker's Allowance or certain sickness benefits
  • Voluntary contributions you chose to pay to fill a gap

The Child Benefit point costs families real money. If one parent stops work and the other claims Child Benefit, the working parent gets the credit. The credits can be transferred to the parent at home.

Filling gaps in your record

You can usually pay voluntary National Insurance to top up recent gaps. The normal window is the last six tax years. Special rules sometimes extend it.

Topping up is not always a good deal. It pays off only if you live long enough to draw the extra pension back. It also does nothing if you already have enough years to reach the full rate.

1

Get your forecast

Use the free State Pension forecast on GOV.UK. It shows your record year by year.

2

Find the actual gaps

Look for years marked as not full. Note which ones you can still pay for and what each costs.

3

Check it changes your figure

Call the Future Pension Centre before you pay. Some payments do not increase what you get.

4

Pay the ones that count

Pay only the years that lift your forecast. Keep the receipt and check your record updates.

Not sure what your retirement adds up to?

Send us your forecast figure and what else you have. We will tell you plainly whether it needs a proper look.

Ask us a question

Prefer WhatsApp? Message us there. We are open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 8pm.

This goes to a separately authorised firm we have vetted. The introduction costs you nothing. If you go ahead, we may be paid a fee by that firm.

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When you can claim it

State Pension age is 66 for most people right now. It rises to 67 between 2026 and 2028. A further rise to 68 is in law for later years.

Your State Pension does not arrive on its own. You have to claim it. The Pension Service usually writes to you a few months before you qualify.

This matters for planning because private pensions can start earlier. You can usually take a private pension from age 55, rising to 57 on 6 April 2028. Many people bridge the gap with a private pot and start the State Pension later.

What happens if you delay it

You can put off claiming. For people reaching State Pension age after April 2016, the increase is roughly 1% for every nine weeks you defer. That works out at just under 5.8% for a full year.

Deferring can payIf you are still working and paying higher rate tax, taking it now means losing 40% of it. Waiting until you stop can be worth real money.
Deferring can loseYou give up income now for a higher income later. It takes roughly 15 to 17 years of the higher payments to make back one year of deferred State Pension, and about a year longer for each extra year you defer.
Health mattersIf your health is poor, deferring is usually the wrong call. The extra income has to be drawn for years to repay what you gave up.
Benefits complicate itDeferring can affect Pension Credit and other means-tested help. Check before you decide, not after.

Tax on the State Pension

The State Pension is taxable income. Tax is not taken off before it is paid. If you have other income, the tax on your State Pension is usually collected through the tax code on that other income.

The full rate of £12,547.60 sits below the personal allowance on its own. Add a workplace pension or part-time earnings and the total can cross the threshold. That is when a tax bill appears out of nowhere.

People who take a large lump sum from a private pension in the same year get caught most often. The lump sum pushes total income up and drags the State Pension into tax with it.

What the State Pension does not cover

Set the full rate against a real household budget. Council tax, energy, food, insurance and one car use most of it. Nothing is left for a boiler, a roof or a holiday.

That gap is the whole argument for a private or workplace pension. The State Pension is a floor. It was never designed to be the whole plan.

What to do this month

  • Get your State Pension forecast. It takes about five minutes.
  • Write down the date you reach State Pension age and the figure shown.
  • Check whether any years are missing, and whether they can still be paid for.
  • If a parent stopped work to raise children, check who claimed Child Benefit.
  • Add up what your private pensions might add. Our pensions page explains the options.
  • If you cannot find an old pension, use the free tracing steps.
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Who this suits, and who it does not

Read this if
  • You are within 15 years of State Pension age
  • You took time out of work to raise children or care for someone
  • You were self-employed and are not sure what you paid
  • You have never looked at a forecast
This will not help much if
  • You already have 35 full years and a forecast at the full rate
  • You reached State Pension age before April 2016, since older rules apply
  • You are looking for advice on a specific defined benefit transfer

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Questions people actually ask

How many years of National Insurance do I need for the full State Pension?
You normally need 35 qualifying years for the full new State Pension, and at least 10 years to get anything. If you were contracted out before 2016 you may need more than 35.
How much is the State Pension in 2026/27?
The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week, which is about £12,547.60 a year. Your own amount depends on your National Insurance record.
Can I take my State Pension early?
No. There is no early access to the State Pension at a reduced rate. You can take a private pension from age 55, rising to 57 in April 2028, and use that to bridge the gap.
Do I get my late husband or wife's State Pension?
Under the new State Pension you cannot usually inherit their full amount (rules as at 2026/27). You may be able to inherit part of a protected payment or an Additional State Pension built up before 2016. The rules depend on when each of you reached State Pension age.
Is it worth paying voluntary National Insurance?
Sometimes. It pays off only if the extra year actually raises your forecast, and if you live long enough to draw the increase back. Always ring the Future Pension Centre and check before you pay.
Do I pay tax on the State Pension?
It is taxable income, but tax is not deducted before it reaches you. If you have other income, HMRC usually collects the tax through the code on that income.
What is Pension Credit and could I get it?
Pension Credit tops up a low income once you are over State Pension age. It also opens the door to help with council tax, heating and NHS costs. A lot of people who qualify never claim it.
Will the State Pension still exist when I retire?
No one can promise what a future government does. Today the State Pension age is rising and the government applies a triple lock to increases, which is a policy rather than a guarantee. Plan on the State Pension being a floor rather than the whole plan.
How do I check broadband speed at a property?
Use Ofcom's free broadband and mobile checker at checker.ofcom.org.uk. Enter the property's postcode and choose the address to see which broadband speeds and mobile coverage are available before you make an offer.

Where to go next

How many qualifying years do you need?The 35 and 10 year rules in plain terms.How much do you need to retire?Three realistic budgets and what they cost.Pension drawdown explainedTaking income from a pot without buying an annuity.Tax-free cash explainedThe 25% rule and the £268,275 limit.Combining old pensionsWhat we can help with if pots are scattered.Find a lost pensionThe free government tracing service, step by step.
Where these figures come from

Figures checked on 1 September 2026 and correct for the 2026/27 tax year. Rates change, so check the source before you act on a number.

Pension advice goes to a separately authorised firm we have vetted. The introduction costs you nothing. If you go ahead, we may be paid a fee by that firm.

Last reviewed September 2026.

Work out what your retirement actually looks like

The State Pension is the floor. If you want to know whether the rest of your plan reaches the ceiling, start with a conversation.

Start a conversation

Prefer WhatsApp? Message us there. We are open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 8pm.

This goes to a separately authorised firm we have vetted. The introduction costs you nothing. If you go ahead, we may be paid a fee by that firm.

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