How to Calculate State Pension UK

Your Estimated Annual State Pension

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Weekly State Pension

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Monthly State Pension

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% of full entitlement

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More NI years needed

Full New State Pension 2026/27: £230.25/week (£11,973/year) — a 4.8% triple lock rise from April 2026. Requires 35 qualifying NI years; minimum 10 years to receive any pension. State Pension Age: currently rising from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028. Figures are estimates only — check your official forecast at gov.uk/check-state-pension.

State Pension Estimator

2026/27 · New State Pension · Triple Lock 4.8%

Your NI Record

Qualifying NI Years So Far Check your NI record at gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record

010 (min)35 (full)

43% of full pension

Current Age

State Pension Age

Future NI Contributions

Planned Additional NI Years Years you expect to work / pay voluntary NI

Gaps in NI Record (years) Years with no or insufficient NI contributions

Adjustments

Were You Contracted Out? Pre-2016 private sector / some public sector workers

NI Credits / Benefits Child Benefit (under 12), Carer's Credit, JSA, etc.

How the State Pension Works

The New State Pension Formula

The New State Pension (NSP) is straightforward to calculate: you divide the full weekly amount by 35 (the number of qualifying years required), then multiply by your actual qualifying NI years. Each qualifying year is worth exactly £6.58/week (£341.79/year) in 2026/27.

📐 Formula: Your pension = (£230.25 ÷ 35) × qualifying NI years

Example: 25 qualifying years = (£230.25 ÷ 35) × 25 = £164.46/week · £8,552/year

If you have fewer than 10 qualifying years, you receive nothing. Between 10 and 34 years, you receive a proportional amount. At 35 or more years, you receive the full £230.25/week — you cannot receive more than the full amount under the standard rules.

The Triple Lock Guarantee

The State Pension rises each April under the triple lock — whichever is highest of earnings growth, CPI inflation, or 2.5%. For April 2026, the increase was driven by average earnings growth of 4.8%, lifting the full New State Pension from £221.20/week to £230.25/week — an increase of £9.05/week or £470.60/year.

Over 12 million pensioners benefited from this rise from April 2026. The triple lock has been government policy since 2010 and is maintained for the current Parliament. Future increases depend on whichever of the three measures is highest each September (measured the year before).

2026/27 Rates

State Pension Rates April 2026 to April 2027

Pension Type	Weekly	4-Weekly	Annual	Change vs 2025/26
New State Pension (full)	£230.25	£921.00	£11,973	+4.8% (+£470/yr)
Basic State Pension (full) — old scheme	£176.45	£705.80	£9,175	+4.8%
Each qualifying NI year (new pension)	£6.58	£26.31	£341.79	+4.8%
Minimum qualifying years	10 years			—
Full pension qualifying years	35 years			—

⏰ State Pension Age is rising: From 6 April 2026, State Pension age began increasing from 66 to 67 for those born between 6 April 1960 and 5 April 1977. The transition completes in April 2028. If you were born after 1977, a further rise to 68 is under review. Check your exact State Pension age at gov.uk/state-pension-age.

Boosting Your Pension

How to Fill NI Gaps & Increase Your Entitlement

If you have gaps in your NI record, you may be able to pay voluntary Class 3 NI contributions to fill them. In 2026/27, filling one gap costs around £824 and adds £341.79/year to your pension for life — this typically pays back within 2–3 years of retirement.

Ways to Build Qualifying NI Years

Working and paying NI: Any year earning above the Lower Earnings Limit (£6,500 in 2026/27) counts as a qualifying year.
NI Credits — Child Benefit: Claiming Child Benefit for a child under 12 automatically adds qualifying NI years, even if you are not working.
Carer's Credit: Caring for someone for 20+ hours/week may entitle you to NI credits.
Benefits credits: Certain benefits (JSA, Employment Support Allowance, Statutory Sick Pay) come with NI credits attached.
Voluntary Class 2/3 NI: Self-employed pay Class 2; employees or non-workers can pay Class 3 to fill gaps — usually for the previous 6 tax years.

💡 Deadline extension: The government extended the window to fill NI gaps going back to April 2006 (rather than the usual 6 years). This window closed 5 April 2025 — but you can still fill the standard 6-year window under normal rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

What counts as a qualifying NI year?

A qualifying year is any tax year in which you paid (or were credited with) enough National Insurance contributions. You need earnings of at least the Lower Earnings Limit (£6,500 in 2026/27) to automatically build a qualifying year. NI credits from benefits or caring responsibilities also count. Part years do not count — it must be a full qualifying year.

Does my spouse's NI record affect my pension?

Under the New State Pension (for those reaching State Pension age after 6 April 2016), your pension is based entirely on your own NI record — not your spouse's. However, if you reached State Pension age before April 2016 (old Basic State Pension rules), you may be able to claim a pension based on your spouse's NI record, worth up to 60% of their entitlement.

What is contracting out and how does it affect me?

Before April 2016, some workers were "contracted out" of the Additional State Pension (SERPS / S2P) — usually those in defined benefit occupational pension schemes. In return for lower NI contributions, they received a deduction to their starting State Pension amount. If you were contracted out, your State Pension may be lower than the full £230.25/week even with 35+ qualifying years. Your personal forecast will account for this.

Can I defer my State Pension?

Yes — every 9 weeks you defer adds 1% to your State Pension, equivalent to about 5.8% per year. If you defer for a full year, your pension increases by approximately £13.35/week (£694/year). Deferral can be worthwhile if you are in good health and do not need the income immediately. You cannot get a lump-sum payment for deferral if you reach State Pension age after April 2016.

Is the State Pension taxable?

Yes — the State Pension counts as taxable income. However, tax is only due if your total income (State Pension plus any other income) exceeds your Personal Allowance (£12,570 in 2026/27). With just the full State Pension of £11,973, you would be below the Personal Allowance and pay no tax. If you have other pension income, the State Pension is typically collected by reducing your tax code on other income.

What if I live abroad — do I still get my State Pension?