How to check your State Pension forecastYou can get a State Pension forecast online through the government Check Your State Pension service. It shows your projected State Pension amount, your National Insurance record, and whether you have any gaps in your NI contributions that you could fill to increase your pension. Check your State Pension forecast at gov.uk/check-state-pension. You need a Government Gateway account. The forecast shows your projected weekly amount and how many more qualifying years you can add. How to access your pension forecast
What does the State Pension forecast show?
What is a qualifying year for State Pension?A qualifying year is a tax year in which you paid (or were credited with) National Insurance contributions. You need 10 qualifying years for any State Pension, and 35 qualifying years for the full new State Pension of £221.20/week. NI credits are also given for certain circumstances including child benefit claims, caring responsibilities, and periods of sickness or unemployment. How to fill gaps in your NI recordVoluntary NI contributions (Class 3) allow you to fill gaps in your NI record and increase your State Pension. The cost of filling a gap year is currently £824.20 (one year of Class 3 contributions in 2025/26). Each year added increases your State Pension by approximately £329/year — a payback period of approximately 2.5 years from retirement age, making it one of the best returns available.
Deadline to fill historical NI gapsYou can normally only fill gaps from the last 6 tax years. However, a temporary extension allows UK workers to fill gaps going back to April 2006 — this extension deadline has been extended; check gov.uk for the current cutoff as it has changed multiple times. Act promptly to preserve the ability to fill older gaps at the current rate before any deadline passes. Verdict Check your forecast now — filling gaps is outstanding value The State Pension forecast check takes 10 minutes and could identify gaps worth filling. At £824 per year of gap and £329/year return, the payback is under 3 years from retirement. Every qualifying year you can add at this rate is an exceptional return on a government-guaranteed income. Frequently asked questionsHow do I get a State Pension forecast from HMRC? Go to gov.uk/check-state-pension and sign in with your Government Gateway account. If you do not have one, you can create it on the same page using your NI number and a form of photo ID. How many years NI do I need for a full State Pension? 35 qualifying years give you the full new State Pension of £221.20/week (£11,502/year) in 2025/26. You need a minimum of 10 qualifying years to receive any State Pension. Can I check my NI record without a Government Gateway account? You can request a State Pension statement by post using form BR19 — download from gov.uk. However, the online service via Government Gateway is faster and shows more detail including the specific years and gaps. What if my State Pension forecast is lower than expected? Check your NI record for gaps. Common reasons for a low forecast include years out of employment not covered by NI credits, time working abroad, or periods of self-employment with low profits. Fill qualifying gaps or get NI credits applied where eligible. |
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