State pension UK: how much, how to claim and the triple lock

The State Pension is a regular payment from the UK government, paid when a person reaches State Pension Age. For those reaching that age on or after 6 April 2016, the new State Pension applies, replacing the older basic and additional State Pensions. The amount depends on the National Insurance contribution record, and the weekly figure is uprated each April under the triple lock. It is administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and paid into a bank, building society, or credit union account.

This guide explains how much the new State Pension is in the 2026-27 tax year, the qualifying years required, the current State Pension Age, how to claim, how the triple lock works in practice, the rules for deferring payment, what happens to a surviving spouse or civil partner, and how to fill gaps in a National Insurance record by buying voluntary years. It covers the UK as a whole: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland share a single State Pension system. Specific weekly cash amounts move each April, so the figures published on GOV.UK take priority over any number quoted elsewhere.

How much the state pension is in 2026-27

The new State Pension is paid as a weekly amount, though most people receive it every four weeks in arrears. The 2026-27 figure applies from 6 April 2026 and is set by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions under the annual State Pension up-rating order, following the triple lock formula. The full new State Pension for 2026-27 is 241.30 pounds a week, which is 12,547.60 pounds a year, following a 4.8 percent triple lock increase that added about 575 pounds a year from 6 April 2026. The full basic State Pension, paid under the pre-2016 system, is 184.90 pounds a week. These figures should still be confirmed on GOV.UK before any planning calculation, as they are set each year by the up-rating order.

The full new State Pension is paid to people with 35 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions or credits. People with fewer than 35 years but at least 10 receive a proportional amount: roughly one thirty-fifth of the full rate per qualifying year. For people with pre-2016 records, the exact arithmetic uses a "starting amount" that compares their old-system entitlement on 6 April 2016 against the new-system rate, taking the higher of the two; that starting amount can be increased by adding further qualifying years up to the full new rate.

What gets paid in practice

Payment is made into a UK bank, building society, or credit union account, four-weekly in arrears. Tax is not deducted at source, but the State Pension counts as taxable income. Where total taxable income exceeds the Personal Allowance (12,570 pounds in 2026-27, subject to confirmation on GOV.UK), HMRC normally collects the tax by adjusting the tax code on any private or workplace pension or employment income.

Old vs new State Pension

People who reached State Pension Age before 6 April 2016 fall under the old basic State Pension, which paid a lower headline rate plus, often, an additional State Pension (SERPS and the State Second Pension, S2P). The new State Pension simplifies that into a single weekly amount, with transitional arrangements protecting people whose pre-2016 record would have produced a higher amount under the old rules.

National Insurance qualifying years

Entitlement to the new State Pension is built from qualifying years of National Insurance (NI). A qualifying year is a tax year (6 April to 5 April) in which a person paid, was treated as having paid, or was credited with enough Class 1, Class 2 or Class 3 contributions to count. The minimum to receive any new State Pension is 10 qualifying years; the threshold for a full new State Pension is 35 years. Between 10 and 35, the amount is broadly proportional, subject to the starting-amount rules for those with pre-2016 history.

Class 1 contributions are paid by employees through PAYE on earnings above the Primary Threshold. Class 2 contributions are paid by self-employed people; recent reforms grant automatic qualifying years to those with profits above the Lower Profits Limit. Class 3 contributions are voluntary and can be used to fill gaps. Class 4 contributions, paid by the self-employed on profits, do not on their own count toward the State Pension.

National Insurance credits

NI credits give a qualifying year without an actual contribution being paid. Credits are awarded in a range of situations: claiming Child Benefit for a child under 12, receiving Carer's Allowance or Carer's Credit, being on Jobseeker's Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance, being on Statutory Sick Pay or Maternity Pay, and several other categories. People who took time out of work to care for children or relatives can use credits to maintain their qualifying-year record without paying contributions, provided the relevant claim was registered with HMRC or DWP at the time.

Checking the record

Every person with a National Insurance number can check their record online through the GOV.UK State Pension forecast service. The check shows the number of qualifying years to date, the years for which a contribution shortfall exists, and the forecast weekly amount based on the current record plus any reasonable assumption about future years. The same service shows whether voluntary contributions could increase the future payment and the deadline for paying them.

State Pension Age

State Pension Age is the earliest age at which a person can start claiming the State Pension. For most of 2026-27, State Pension Age is 66 for both men and women. From 6 May 2026, the gradual rise from 66 to 67 begins under the Pensions Act 2014 timetable, and the transition completes by 6 March 2028. People born within the affected window have a State Pension Age that depends on their date of birth and can be checked using the GOV.UK "Check your State Pension age" tool.

Further rises beyond 67 are legislated. State Pension Age is scheduled to rise to 68 between 2044 and 2046 under the Pensions Act 2007, although successive governments have considered bringing that rise forward. Any change to the timetable would require new primary legislation, and the Government Actuary's Department reviews the schedule periodically.

Why State Pension Age matters beyond the State Pension

State Pension Age is a reference point for several other rights and benefits. It marks the point at which a person stops paying employee National Insurance on earnings (income tax continues), the age at which Pension Credit becomes available subject to a means test, and the qualifying age for the Winter Fuel Payment in certain years. The GOV.UK "Check your State Pension age" service returns the exact date on which State Pension Age is reached, plus the date Pension Credit qualifying age applies. For people born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961, the precise date matters because it falls inside the 66-to-67 transition window legislated under the Pensions Act 2014.

How to claim the state pension

The State Pension is not paid automatically. A claim must be made, normally in the few months before reaching State Pension Age. DWP sends a letter (an invitation to claim) around four months before the relevant date with instructions on how to claim. Anyone who does not receive that letter, or who has moved address, can still claim through the GOV.UK "Get your State Pension" service.

Three claim routes exist. Online via the GOV.UK service is the fastest in most cases, and uses Government Gateway sign-in. By phone, through the Pension Service on the GOV.UK contact page, is suitable for people who prefer to speak to an adviser. By post, using the BR1 claim form, is available for those who cannot use the online or phone routes. Claims can be backdated for up to 12 months from the date the claim is made.

Documents and information needed

The claim asks for the National Insurance number, the account into which payment should be made, and details of any time spent living or working abroad in countries with which the UK has a social security agreement. For people who have lived in the EU, EEA, Switzerland, or a country with a UK reciprocal agreement, their contribution history in those countries can be combined to meet the qualifying year minimum, although the actual UK payment is based on the UK record only.

Living abroad

The State Pension can be paid into a UK or overseas account in most countries. Annual uprating under the triple lock only applies in countries with a reciprocal social security agreement covering up-rating: the European Economic Area, Switzerland, Gibraltar, the United States, the Philippines, and certain others. In other countries, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, the State Pension is frozen at the rate first paid. The GOV.UK "State Pension if you retire abroad" page lists the position country by country.

The triple lock and the yearly increase

The triple lock is the mechanism used to set the annual increase in the new and basic State Pensions each April. Under the triple lock, the weekly amount is uprated by the highest of three measures: average earnings growth (the year-on-year change in average weekly earnings to July, including bonuses, as published by the Office for National Statistics), CPI inflation (the year-on-year change in the Consumer Prices Index to September, as published by the ONS), or 2.5 percent as a floor. The increase takes effect from the first Monday of the new tax year.

The triple lock applies to the headline weekly rate of the new State Pension and the basic State Pension. It does not apply in the same way to the additional State Pension (SERPS and S2P), which is uprated by CPI alone, nor to certain protected payments paid under the new system to people whose starting amount exceeded the new full rate in 2016. Pension Credit Standard Minimum Guarantee is uprated separately under earnings.

Earnings, CPI, and the 2.5 percent floor

When earnings growth is high, the State Pension follows earnings. When inflation is high and earnings are weaker (as in the cost-of-living period from 2022), CPI tends to drive the increase. In years when both earnings and inflation are below 2.5 percent, the 2.5 percent floor applies. In 2021-22 the earnings element was temporarily suspended because of pandemic-related distortions in the earnings figure; from 2022-23 onwards, the full triple lock has applied each year. The new rate is normally announced at the Autumn Statement or Budget the year before, with the up-rating order laid before Parliament early in the new year and taking effect from 6 April.

Deferring the state pension

It is not compulsory to start claiming the State Pension at State Pension Age. A person can choose not to claim, or to claim and then stop, and the eventual amount is then increased to reflect the deferral. For people whose State Pension Age is on or after 6 April 2016 (new State Pension), the deferral uplift is 1 percent for every 9 weeks deferred. Over a full year, that works out to approximately 5.8 percent more (52 divided by 9 multiplied by 1 percent). There is no upper limit on how long the State Pension can be deferred, but deferral must be a continuous period.

For people on the old (pre-2016) basic State Pension, the deferral rules are more generous: 1 percent for every 5 weeks deferred, equivalent to roughly 10.4 percent a year, and with the option to take the deferred amount as a one-off taxable lump sum (with interest) rather than as a higher weekly rate. The lump-sum option was withdrawn for the new State Pension.

Whether deferral is worth it

Deferral has a break-even point. The uplifted payments need to continue long enough to recover the income given up during deferral. For the new State Pension at 1 percent per 9 weeks, the simple arithmetic break-even (ignoring tax, inflation and investment returns) is around 17 to 18 years from the point of claiming. A deferral can have tax advantages where a person continues to work past State Pension Age on high other income, because the State Pension is then delayed until that other income drops. Conversely, taking the higher weekly amount later can push a person into a higher tax band, so the trade-off depends on the full income picture.

Spouse, widow and inherited state pension

The rules on inheriting State Pension differ between the old and new schemes. Under the old basic State Pension, a widow, widower, or surviving civil partner could inherit some or all of their late spouse's basic and additional State Pension. Under the new State Pension, which applies to people reaching State Pension Age on or after 6 April 2016, the headline rule is that the new State Pension is based on the individual's own NI record. Inheritance of certain amounts is still possible but is more limited.

Where the deceased reached State Pension Age before 6 April 2016, transitional rules allow a surviving spouse or civil partner to inherit at least some of the deceased's State Pension entitlement, depending on the date of marriage, the dates of NI contributions, and whether they were married at the date of death. Where the deceased had a protected payment under the new State Pension (an amount above the full new rate, preserved from 2016), at least 50 percent of that protected payment can be inherited by the surviving spouse or civil partner, provided the marriage or civil partnership took place before 6 April 2016.

Divorce and Bereavement Support Payment

A divorced person can no longer use a former spouse's NI record to qualify for State Pension under the new system; the old basic State Pension previously allowed this. Pension sharing orders made on divorce can apply to a State Pension protected payment under the new system in limited circumstances. Separately, Bereavement Support Payment is a benefit for working-age people whose spouse or civil partner has died: it is paid for up to 18 months by DWP and does not affect State Pension entitlement either way.

Topping up state pension by buying NI years

Where a person has gaps in their National Insurance record, voluntary Class 3 contributions can be used to fill those gaps and add qualifying years up to the 35-year threshold for a full new State Pension. The current cost of a full Class 3 year is set each tax year by HMRC and is published on the GOV.UK "Voluntary National Insurance" page. Buying one year typically increases the weekly new State Pension by around one thirty-fifth of the full rate (subject to the starting-amount rules), so the lifetime payback from a single voluntary year can be substantial relative to the up-front cost for many people.

The normal rule is that a person can pay voluntary contributions for the previous six tax years. A time-limited extension that allowed people to fill gaps going back to April 2006 ran until April 2025 and has now closed for most years before 2019-20. The current GOV.UK page sets out the windows for paying for each historic year. For self-employed people, voluntary Class 2 contributions remain available where eligibility is met and are normally cheaper than Class 3.

Working out if a top-up adds value

The first step is to check the State Pension forecast on GOV.UK. The forecast shows the current entitlement, the years available to fill, the cost of filling each year, and the projected weekly increase from doing so. People whose forecast already shows the maximum new State Pension cannot increase it further by buying years; in that situation, voluntary contributions add nothing. For people with fewer than 35 years and several years before reaching State Pension Age, filling old gaps may not be necessary because future working years will add to the record naturally.

How to pay, and Class 2 versus Class 3

HMRC handles voluntary NI payments. The first step is normally to contact the Future Pension Centre (a DWP service) to confirm whether paying a particular year would actually increase the State Pension. HMRC's National Insurance helpline then gives the exact amount due and the reference, with payment made by bank transfer using a reference linked to the National Insurance number. For self-employed people, voluntary Class 2 is significantly cheaper per qualifying year than Class 3; Class 3 is the catch-all for people who were neither employed nor self-employed during the relevant year, including career breaks for caring responsibilities or living abroad.

Who does not get the full new State Pension

Reaching State Pension age does not guarantee the full new State Pension of 241.30 pounds a week. Several groups commonly receive less. People with fewer than 35 qualifying years get a proportional amount, roughly one thirty-fifth of the full rate for each year, and those with fewer than 10 qualifying years usually get nothing at all. People who were contracted out of the additional State Pension before 2016, paying lower National Insurance in exchange for building a workplace pension, often have a starting amount below the full new rate, and may need extra post-2016 years to close the gap.

Others affected include people who spent years working abroad without paying UK National Insurance, some self-employed people with gaps in their record, and those who reached State Pension age under the old system with an incomplete basic pension. Anyone unsure should check their State Pension forecast on GOV.UK, which shows the amount built up so far, the most that can still be earned, and whether buying extra years would help. Assuming the full rate without checking is a frequent and avoidable mistake.

National Insurance credits that protect your record

Qualifying years can be earned through National Insurance credits as well as through paid contributions, and these credits protect the records of people who are not working or earning. Parents and carers registered for Child Benefit for a child under 12 receive credits automatically, even if they do not claim the payment, which matters for higher-income families who opt out of receiving Child Benefit but should still register to protect the parent's pension. Carer's Credit protects the record of those caring for at least 20 hours a week for someone who is ill or disabled.

Other credits cover periods of receiving certain benefits, including Jobseeker's Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance and Carer's Allowance, as well as some periods of jury service or wrongful imprisonment. Specified Adult Childcare Credits allow a grandparent or other family member who looks after a child to receive the parent's unused credits. Because a single missing year can reduce the eventual pension, checking that all available credits have been claimed is a valuable and often overlooked step, particularly for carers and family members who have taken time out of paid work.

The WASPI campaign and 1950s-born women

The change that equalised the State Pension age for men and women, raising women's State Pension age from 60 towards 66, affected women born in the 1950s and gave rise to the Women Against State Pension Inequality, or WASPI, campaign. The campaign argues that the affected women were not given adequate notice to plan for the change. In March 2024 the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman found maladministration in how the Department for Work and Pensions communicated the changes, and recommended compensation of between 1,000 and 2,950 pounds for each affected woman.

The government declined to set up a compensation scheme, a position it reaffirmed at the start of 2026, on the basis that most women were aware the change was coming and that a blanket scheme would not be a fair use of public money. In May 2026 the WASPI campaign launched a fresh legal challenge seeking to have that refusal reconsidered by the courts. As matters stand in 2026, no compensation scheme has been approved, and the position remains the subject of legal action, so anyone affected should follow GOV.UK and the campaign's own updates for the current status rather than rely on reports of imminent payments.

How these figures were verified

The structure of the new State Pension, the 10-year minimum and 35-year full rate, and the starting-amount rules for people with pre-2016 records are set out in the Pensions Act 2014 and the associated regulations on legislation.gov.uk, and in DWP and GOV.UK guidance. State Pension Age, including the 66-to-67 timetable between 6 May 2026 and 6 March 2028 and the planned move to 68 between 2044 and 2046, comes from the Pensions Acts 1995, 2007, 2011 and 2014, again as published on legislation.gov.uk. The triple lock formula (the higher of earnings, CPI, or 2.5 percent) and the annual up-rating process are described in the GOV.UK State Pension up-rating pages and the Social Security Administration Act 1992. Deferral mechanics (1 percent for every 9 weeks under the new State Pension; 1 percent for every 5 weeks plus a lump-sum option under the old basic State Pension) are taken from the GOV.UK "Delay (defer) your State Pension" page. The voluntary Class 3 NI contribution route, the six-year window, the expired April 2025 extension and the cost-per-year figures are taken from the GOV.UK voluntary National Insurance pages and the HMRC NI manual. For weekly cash amounts in 2026-27, the GOV.UK State Pension pages are the authoritative source and should be checked directly before any planning decision.

Frequently asked questions

How many qualifying years are needed for the full new State Pension?

35 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions or credits are needed for the full new State Pension. People with between 10 and 35 years receive a proportional amount, subject to the starting-amount rules for those with pre-2016 records. Fewer than 10 qualifying years means no entitlement to a new State Pension at all.

Can someone get any State Pension with fewer than 10 qualifying years?

No. The 10-year minimum is a hard threshold under the new State Pension. People with fewer than 10 years can sometimes use voluntary Class 3 NI contributions to reach it, where eligibility and time limits allow.

What is State Pension Age in 2026?

State Pension Age is 66 for most of 2026-27. The phased rise from 66 to 67 begins on 6 May 2026 and completes by 6 March 2028, under the Pensions Act 2014 timetable. The precise date for a given person depends on their date of birth and can be checked using the GOV.UK "Check your State Pension age" tool.

Is State Pension Age the same for men and women?

Yes. Equalisation at 65 completed in November 2018, and the joint age rose to 66 by October 2020. The current transition to 67 between 2026 and 2028 affects men and women on the same timetable.

How does the triple lock decide the annual increase?

The triple lock uprates the headline State Pension by the highest of three measures: average earnings growth, CPI inflation, or 2.5 percent. The earnings figure used is the year-on-year change to July; CPI is the year-on-year change to September. The new rate takes effect from the first Monday of the new tax year in April.

Does the State Pension pay automatically at State Pension Age?

No, a claim has to be made. DWP normally sends an invitation to claim around four months before State Pension Age. The claim can be made online via GOV.UK, by phone, or by post using the BR1 form, and can be backdated for up to 12 months.

What is the deferral uplift for the new State Pension?

For the new State Pension, deferral increases the eventual weekly amount by 1 percent for every 9 weeks deferred. Over a full year, that is roughly 5.8 percent. There is no lump-sum option for the new State Pension; deferral only converts into a higher weekly amount. The old basic State Pension has a more generous 1 percent per 5 weeks and a lump-sum option.

How long does deferral need to last to be worth it?

The simple cash break-even on the new State Pension deferral, ignoring tax and inflation, is around 17 to 18 years of receiving the higher amount. Tax considerations and other income can shift the calculation in either direction.

Can voluntary NI contributions fill any gap year?

Voluntary Class 3 contributions can normally fill gaps in the previous six tax years. The earlier extension allowing back-payment to 2006 closed in April 2025 for most categories. The GOV.UK voluntary NI page shows which years can still be filled and the cost of filling each one.

How much does a year of voluntary Class 3 NI cost?

The weekly Class 3 rate is set each tax year by HMRC and published on GOV.UK; the full-year cost is the weekly rate multiplied by 52. Voluntary Class 2 contributions, where eligibility applies for self-employed people, are usually significantly cheaper per qualifying year.

Will buying voluntary NI years always increase the State Pension?

No. People whose forecast already shows the maximum new State Pension cannot increase it further by buying years, and people with a starting amount above the new full rate may also gain nothing. The Future Pension Centre confirms whether a particular year would add value before payment.

Does the State Pension count as taxable income?

Yes, although tax is not deducted at source. Where total taxable income exceeds the Personal Allowance, HMRC normally adjusts the tax code on other taxable income (workplace pension or employment) to collect any tax due. People with only the State Pension and no other income may pay no tax.

Can the State Pension be claimed while still working?

Yes. There is no requirement to stop work to claim. Once State Pension Age is reached, employee National Insurance contributions on earnings stop, but income tax continues. The State Pension plus earnings can together push a person into a higher tax band.

Is the State Pension paid in full to people who live abroad?

The State Pension can be paid abroad but is not always uprated each year. In the EEA, Switzerland, Gibraltar, the United States and certain other countries with reciprocal social security agreements, the annual triple lock increase applies. In countries including Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the State Pension is frozen at the rate first paid.

What happens to the State Pension when someone dies?

Payments stop on death; the estate may be due a small payment to cover the period to the date of death. A surviving spouse or civil partner may inherit certain amounts (additional State Pension, protected payments) under the old or new schemes, depending on the date the deceased reached State Pension Age.

Can a divorced person use an ex-spouse's NI record?

Under the new State Pension it is no longer possible to substitute a former spouse's NI record for one's own; the old basic State Pension allowed this in certain circumstances. Pension sharing orders made on divorce can apply to a protected payment under the new State Pension in limited cases.

What is Pension Credit and how does it relate to the State Pension?

Pension Credit is a separate, means-tested benefit for people over State Pension Age on low incomes. It tops up income to a Standard Minimum Guarantee and can include a Savings Credit element for some claimants. It is administered by DWP, is independent of the State Pension, and is often under-claimed; GOV.UK has a Pension Credit calculator.

What is a protected payment under the new State Pension?

A protected payment is the portion of a person's starting amount on 6 April 2016 that exceeded the full new State Pension rate. It is preserved at that level, uprated by CPI alone, and can be partly inherited by a surviving spouse or civil partner under specific rules.

Does claiming Child Benefit help build up State Pension entitlement?

Yes, indirectly. A parent who claims Child Benefit for a child under 12 normally receives NI credits for years they are not working or are earning below the NI threshold. The credits flow only to the person who actually claims the Child Benefit, which can matter for couples where one earns more than the other.

Can someone defer the State Pension more than once?

Deferral can be done once. Once a person has started claiming and then stopped, the State Pension cannot be deferred a second time. This rule applies to both the new and old State Pensions. The deferral uplift continues to accrue throughout the deferral period.

What happens if a claim is made late?

The State Pension can be backdated for up to 12 months from the date of claim. Where the gap between State Pension Age and claim is longer than 12 months, the unclaimed period is normally treated as a deferral, with the corresponding uplift applied.

Are there any plans to change the triple lock?

The triple lock remains the statutory rule. Successive governments have considered modifying it (for example to a double lock using only earnings or CPI), and parliamentary committees have debated long-run affordability. Any change would require new legislation; the full triple lock continues to apply.

What if a spouse died before reaching State Pension Age?

The surviving partner may be entitled to inherited or substituted entitlement under the rules of the relevant scheme (old or new). The position depends on the deceased's NI record, the marriage or civil partnership dates, and the rules in force at the time. The Pension Service can give a personalised calculation.

Does the State Pension increase after it starts being paid?

Yes. Once claimed, the headline new and basic State Pensions increase each April under the triple lock; additional State Pension elements and protected payments are uprated by CPI. People resident in countries without a reciprocal agreement covering up-rating receive a frozen amount.

What is the difference between the new State Pension and the basic State Pension?

The basic State Pension is the pre-2016 scheme, paid to people who reached State Pension Age before 6 April 2016, with a lower headline rate and, for many, additional State Pension on top. The new State Pension is the post-2016 scheme with a higher headline rate and a simpler structure.

Can a State Pension forecast be wrong?

A forecast is based on the NI record HMRC holds plus an assumption about future qualifying years. Missing contributions, gaps in credits for caring, and self-employment Class 2 issues can leave the record incomplete. HMRC and the Future Pension Centre can investigate and correct the record where evidence supports it.

What is the Future Pension Centre?

The Future Pension Centre is a DWP service that gives personalised guidance on the State Pension before a person reaches State Pension Age. It can confirm whether a particular voluntary NI year would actually increase the pension, explain deferral, and answer NI credits questions. Contact details are on the GOV.UK State Pension forecast pages.

Is there a maximum number of qualifying years that count?

Under the new State Pension, 35 years gives the full headline rate; additional years beyond 35 do not increase it (except where a protected payment from pre-2016 entitlement is involved). For the old basic State Pension, 30 qualifying years was the threshold for the full rate.

Does living and working in the EU still count toward the State Pension?

Yes. Under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement and the Withdrawal Agreement, contribution periods in EEA countries and Switzerland count toward the 10-year minimum, although the UK pension itself is paid only on the UK record. The GOV.UK "National Insurance if you work abroad" pages set out the position.

What records should be kept for a State Pension claim?

Useful records include the National Insurance number, P60s, Child Benefit claim records, marriage or civil partnership certificates, divorce or dissolution documents, and evidence of periods working abroad. Most of the information is already held by HMRC and DWP, but supporting documents can speed up the process where records are unclear.