The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week (£12,547.60 a year) for 2026/27, after a 4.8% triple-lock rise in April 2026. You usually need 35 qualifying years of National Insurance for the full amount and at least 10 years to get anything. You can claim from State Pension age – currently 66, but rising to 67 between May 2026 and April 2028. The older basic State Pension is £184.90 a week. Check your forecast on GOV.UK before you plan.
Related reads: workplace pensions, our SIPP guide, and our pension pot projector.
How much is the State Pension in 2026/27?
There are two State Pensions, and which one you get depends on when you reached State Pension age. If you reached it on or after 6 April 2016, you are on the new State Pension. If you reached it before that date, you are on the old basic State Pension, often topped up by additional state pension (SERPS or S2P).
From April 2026, both rose by 4.8% under the triple lock. The full new State Pension is now £241.30 a week – that is £965.20 every four weeks, or £12,547.60 over a full year. The full basic State Pension is £184.90 a week, or £9,614.80 a year.
| State Pension (2026/27) | Weekly | Every 4 weeks | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full new State Pension | £241.30 | £965.20 | £12,547.60 |
| Full basic State Pension | £184.90 | £739.60 | £9,614.80 |
These are the maximum figures. Your actual payment depends on your National Insurance (NI) record – many people get less than the full amount, and some on the old system get more because of additional state pension. Always check your personal forecast rather than assuming you will get the headline number.
The triple lock explained
The triple lock is the government promise to raise the State Pension each April by the highest of three measures: average earnings growth, CPI inflation, or 2.5%. For 2026/27, average earnings growth of 4.8% was the winner, beating CPI inflation of 1.7% and the 2.5% floor.
Over time the triple lock has pushed the State Pension up steadily, which is why your forecast matters more than any single year’s figure. The chart below shows how the full new State Pension’s annual value has climbed across recent years.
One thing to watch: the full new State Pension is now close to the £12,570 personal allowance. If the triple lock pushes it above that threshold in a future year, pensioners with no other income could start paying a small amount of income tax on their State Pension.
State Pension age: when can you claim?
You cannot take the State Pension until you reach State Pension age. It does not arrive automatically – you have to claim it, usually after the Pension Service writes to you a few months before.
State Pension age is currently 66 for both men and women. From 6 May 2026 it starts rising to 67, with the change phased in gradually until 6 April 2028. If you were born between 6 April 1960 and 5 April 1977, the rise to 67 affects you; the exact date depends on your month of birth. A further rise to 68 is currently planned for 2044 to 2046, though that timetable is under review.
Because the rules are tapered month by month, the only reliable way to find your exact date is to use the official “Check your State Pension age” tool on GOV.UK. It tells you both when you can claim and the earliest date you could get Pension Credit.
National Insurance qualifying years
Your State Pension is built on qualifying years of National Insurance. A qualifying year is a tax year in which you paid enough NI through work, or were credited with it – for example while claiming Child Benefit for a child under 12, receiving certain benefits, or caring for someone.
- 35 qualifying years – usually needed for the full new State Pension.
- 10 qualifying years – the minimum to get any new State Pension at all.
- Between 10 and 35 years – you get a proportion. Each qualifying year is worth roughly 1/35th of the full amount, about £6.89 a week in 2026/27.
If you were contracted out of the additional state pension at some point (common in workplace and public-sector schemes), your starting amount in 2016 may have been reduced, so even 35 years might not give the full new pension. This is exactly why checking your own forecast matters.
How to check your State Pension forecast
The single most useful thing you can do is get your forecast. The free “Check your State Pension forecast” service on GOV.UK shows you how much you are on track to get, your State Pension age, and – crucially – whether you have any gaps in your NI record.
- Sign in with a GOV.UK One Login (or set one up with your National Insurance number).
- See your forecast in today’s money and the maximum you could reach if you keep contributing.
- View your year-by-year NI record and spot any gaps marked “not full”.
- See whether each gap can still be filled and how much it would cost.
For an impartial walk-through of what the numbers mean, MoneyHelper (the government-backed guidance service) has free State Pension guides and a phone line.
Buying voluntary NI contributions to fill gaps
If you have gaps, you may be able to plug them by paying voluntary Class 3 National Insurance contributions (the self-employed often use the cheaper Class 2). For 2026/27, Class 3 costs around £18.40 a week, so a full missing year costs roughly £956.80.
Timing matters. There was a special extension – which ended on 5 April 2025 – that let people fill gaps all the way back to April 2006. That window has now closed. Under the normal rules that apply today, you can generally only fill gaps for the past six tax years. So in 2026/27 you can usually go back to around the 2020/21 tax year, with limited exceptions.
Before paying anything, always check with the Future Pension Centre (before State Pension age) or the Pension Service (after). Topping up does not always increase your pension – for example, if you were contracted out or will reach the maximum through future working years anyway. Paying for the wrong year can waste money.
Worked example: is buying a year worth it?
Suppose Priya is 64 and her forecast shows 33 qualifying years. She has two recent gap years she can still fill, and she will not get enough working years before State Pension age to reach 35 on her own.
- Cost of one Class 3 year: about £956.80.
- Extra pension per year bought: roughly £6.89 a week, or about £358 a year (1/35th of the full pension).
- Break-even: £956.80 ÷ £358 ≈ 2.7 years of retirement.
If Priya fills both gaps, she pays about £1,913.60 and lifts her pension by roughly £716 a year for life. Anyone who lives more than about three years past State Pension age comes out ahead, and because the pension is index-linked, the real return grows over time. For most people in good health it is one of the best-value top-ups available – but only after confirming with the Future Pension Centre that those specific years will actually count.
Deferring your State Pension
You do not have to take the State Pension the moment you reach State Pension age. If you defer, the new State Pension increases by 1% for every nine weeks you put it off – just under 5.8% for a full year. The extra is added permanently once you start claiming.
Deferring can suit people who are still working and would otherwise pay higher-rate tax on the pension, or who expect a long retirement. But you give up the income in the meantime, so it typically takes well over a decade to break even. Weigh it against your health, other income, and tax position before deciding.
Pension Credit for low-income pensioners
If your income is low, Pension Credit can top it up – and it is widely under-claimed. The Guarantee Credit part tops a single person’s weekly income up to about £238.00 in 2026/27 (more for couples and for carers, the severely disabled, or those with certain housing costs).
Pension Credit is also a gateway benefit: receiving even a small amount can unlock help with Council Tax, housing costs, a free TV licence at 75+, NHS costs, and the Winter Fuel Payment. It is worth checking even if you think you are just over the line, because the savings credit and extra amounts can still apply. Use the GOV.UK Pension Credit calculator or call the Pension Service to check.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the full new State Pension in 2026/27?
The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week in 2026/27, which works out at £965.20 every four weeks or £12,547.60 a year. This followed a 4.8% triple-lock increase in April 2026. The full basic (old) State Pension is £184.90 a week. Your own amount depends on your National Insurance record.
When will I reach State Pension age?
State Pension age is currently 66. It rises to 67 in stages between 6 May 2026 and 6 April 2028, affecting people born between 6 April 1960 and 5 April 1977. The exact date depends on your month of birth, so use the GOV.UK “Check your State Pension age” tool for your personal date.
How many qualifying years do I need?
You usually need 35 qualifying years of National Insurance for the full new State Pension and at least 10 years to get any new State Pension at all. Between 10 and 35 years you get a proportionate amount, roughly 1/35th of the full pension for each qualifying year.
Can I still buy back NI years to 2006?
No. The special extension that let you fill gaps back to April 2006 closed on 5 April 2025. Under the normal rules that apply now, you can generally only pay voluntary contributions for the past six tax years. Check your forecast and speak to the Future Pension Centre before paying, as topping up does not always boost your pension.
What is Pension Credit and who qualifies?
Pension Credit tops up the income of lower-income pensioners over State Pension age. In 2026/27 the Guarantee Credit lifts a single person’s weekly income to about £238.00, with more for couples. It is a gateway to help with Council Tax, housing, heating and the Winter Fuel Payment, yet many eligible people never claim it.
Last reviewed: June 2026. This article is general information, not personal financial advice. Pension rules and figures can change – check GOV.UK and MoneyHelper, or speak to a regulated adviser, before making decisions about your State Pension.