The full new State Pension in 2026/27 is £241.30 per week — equal to £12,547.60 per year or £1,046 per month. This applies to people who reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016 and have built up 35 qualifying National Insurance (NI) years.
The State Pension is uprated each April under the triple lock: it rises by the highest of earnings growth, CPI inflation, or 2.5%. This makes it one of the few guaranteed inflation-protected income sources available in the UK.
Your State Pension is calculated from your National Insurance record. Each qualifying year earns you one year of entitlement. You need 35 qualifying years for the full new State Pension, and a minimum of 10 qualifying years to receive any State Pension at all.
| Qualifying NI years | Weekly State Pension | Annual State Pension |
|---|---|---|
| 10 years (minimum) | £68.94 | £3,585 |
| 20 years | £137.89 | £7,170 |
| 25 years | £172.36 | £8,963 |
| 30 years | £206.83 | £10,755 |
| 35 years (full) | £241.30 | £12,547.60 |
Each qualifying year is worth approximately £6.89/week (£241.30 ÷ 35) — or around £358/year in extra State Pension income. This figure matters when deciding whether to fill NI gaps (see below).
You can check your State Pension forecast for free via the government's Check your State Pension forecast service. It shows:
The service is available on GOV.UK and requires a Government Gateway account. You can also request a State Pension statement by post (BR19 form).
If you have gaps in your NI record, you may be able to fill them by paying voluntary Class 3 NI contributions. The cost in 2026/27 is approximately £824/year per gap year.
You have 32 qualifying years — three years short of the full State Pension. Each missing year costs £824 in Class 3 contributions and adds £358/year to your State Pension. You break even after approximately 2.3 years of retirement (£824 ÷ £358 ≈ 2.3). At current life expectancy (mid-80s for most people at State Pension age), filling three gaps would cost £2,472 and return over £10,000 in extra State Pension income over a 20-year retirement.
Voluntary contributions are nearly always worthwhile for people with fewer than 35 qualifying years, unless you have a terminal illness or very short expected retirement. HMRC allows you to fill gaps going back up to 6 years — and in some cases further under extended deadlines.
You cannot exceed 35 qualifying years by making voluntary contributions — additional years beyond 35 do not further increase your State Pension.
You do not have to claim your State Pension as soon as you become eligible. You can defer it — and it will increase for each week you delay.
| Deferral period | Increase | New weekly amount | New annual amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | +5.8% | £255.30 | £13,275 |
| 2 years | +11.5% | £269.05 | £13,991 |
| 3 years | +17.3% | £283.04 | £14,718 |
The deferral rate is 1% per 9 weeks — approximately 5.78% per year. If you defer for one year you break even after about 17 years of pension payments. Deferral makes most sense if:
Yes. The State Pension counts as taxable income, but it is paid gross — HMRC does not deduct tax at source. This creates a practical point worth understanding:
State Pension: £12,547.60. Private pension: £8,000. Total income: £20,547.60. Personal allowance: £12,570. Taxable income: £7,977.60. Tax at 20%: £1,595.52. HMRC applies a reduced tax code to the private pension payments to collect this £1,595.52 — approximately £115/month deducted from the private pension. The State Pension continues to be paid in full.
Pension Credit is a means-tested benefit that tops up the income of pensioners below a minimum threshold. It is one of the most under-claimed benefits in the UK — an estimated 800,000–1,000,000 eligible pensioners do not claim it.
| Pension Credit type | Purpose | Threshold (approx. 2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Guarantee Credit | Tops up income to a minimum | ~£218/week single, ~£333/week couple |
| Savings Credit | Rewards some savings (old SP only) | Available only if reached SPA before April 2016 |
Claiming Guarantee Credit also unlocks access to housing benefit, council tax reduction, free TV licence (if over 75), and cold weather payments. If your State Pension income is below the guarantee threshold, claiming Pension Credit is almost always worth it.
You can apply for Pension Credit by calling the Pension Credit helpline or online via GOV.UK.
Source. Statutory figures on this page are checked against GOV.UK: The new State Pension — what you’ll get. Last checked 2 September 2026; figures apply to the 2026/27 tax year unless stated otherwise.