Quick facts
- Full new State Pension: Ā£221.20 per week (2026/27)
- State Pension age: 66 (rising to 67 between 2026ā2028)
- NI years needed: 35 qualifying years for the full amount
- Minimum NI years: 10 years to receive any State Pension
UK State Pension 2026 ā the current rates
The full new State Pension is Ā£221.20 per week in the 2026/27 tax year.
That is Ā£11,502.40 per year, paid every four weeks directly into your bank account.
The rate rose by 4.1% in April 2026 under the triple lock guarantee.
The triple lock means the pension rises each year by the highest of earnings growth, inflation, or 2.5%.
Who qualifies for the full amount
You need 35 qualifying National Insurance years to receive the full new State Pension.
A qualifying year is one in which you paid NI contributions ā or received NI credits (for example, while claiming Child Benefit or Universal Credit).
If you have between 10 and 34 NI years, you receive a proportional amount.
Fewer than 10 qualifying years means you receive nothing from the new State Pension.
Missing just a few qualifying years can mean hundreds of pounds less in pension income every year for the rest of your life.
When you can claim it
State Pension age is currently 66 for both men and women.
It is rising to 67 between May 2026 and March 2028 ā if you were born between 6 April 1960 and 5 April 1977, check your exact date on the GOV.UK pension age checker.
You do not have to claim the State Pension as soon as you reach State Pension age.
Deferring by one year increases your weekly amount by roughly 1% for every nine weeks you delay, which adds up to about 5.8% per year of deferral.
How to check your State Pension forecast
GOV.UK has a free online tool to check how many NI years you currently have and what your forecast weekly amount will be.
You will need a Government Gateway account to log in.
The forecast also shows gaps in your NI record and whether you can fill them by making voluntary Class 3 NI contributions.
In 2026, the cost of buying one extra qualifying year is Ā£824.20.
For many people, buying missing years pays back within two to three years of retirement ā making it one of the best-value financial decisions available.
Approximate State Pension amounts by qualifying NI years (2026/27 rates). Full pension requires 35 years.
Topping up NI gaps ā and how the State Pension is taxed
HMRC usually allows you to buy back up to six years of NI gaps.
A temporary extension allowed topping up back to 2006 ā that deadline has now passed, so act on recent gaps promptly.
Log in to your personal tax account at HMRC to see exactly which years have gaps and what it costs to fill them.
The State Pension counts as income and is subject to income tax if your total income exceeds the Personal Allowance of Ā£12,570.
Tax is not deducted at source ā HMRC adjusts your tax code on any other income, such as a workplace pension, to collect what is owed.
Check your State Pension forecastGOV.UK ā free, requires Government Gateway login ā
Buy voluntary NI contributionsFill gaps in your NI record via HMRC ā
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
