What Is the UK State Pension?
The State Pension is the UK-government’s guaranteed, inflation-linked income for people who have built up enough National Insurance (NI) years during their working life. It is not a pot you invest yourself; instead, today’s NI contributions help pay today’s pensioners on a pay-as-you-go basis.
New State Pension Vs Old State pension
There are currently two state pension systems running side by side, which applies to you depends on when you were born.Data Source:DWP benefit & pension rates for 2025/26
| System | Who it applies to | Full weekly amount (2025/26) | NI years for full amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| New State Pension | Men born on/after 6 Apr 1951 & Women born on/after 6 Apr 1953 | £230.25 | 35 |
| Basic (“old”) State Pension | Men born before 6 Apr 1951 & Women born before 6 Apr 1953 | £176.45 (plus any SERPS/S2P additions) | 30 |
Key features at a glance
- Contributory, not means-tested: You need at least 10 qualifying NI years for any payment, but existing savings or private pensions don’t reduce it.
- Uprated by the “triple lock”: Each April the amount rises by the highest of average earnings growth, CPI inflation or 2.5 %
- Taxable income: It counts towards your personal income tax allowance.
- Paid every four weeks in arrears: Usually paid direct to your bank account.
- Claiming is essential: It doesn’t start automatically; you must apply when you reach State Pension age (our calculator shows your exact date).
- Payable Abroad: You can receive it overseas, but annual increases are frozen in certain countries.
2025/26 State Pension Rates & the Triple Lock
| System | Full weekly amount | Rough annual equivalent* | % rise vs 2024/25 |
| New State Pension(men born ≥ 6 Apr 1951 / women born ≥ 6 Apr 1953) | £230.25 | £11,973 | +4.1 % |
| Basic (“old”) State Pension(men born < 6 Apr 1951 / women born < 6 Apr 1953) | £176.45 | £9,175 | +4.1 % |
What is the "Triple Lock"?
The “triple lock” is a promise that every April the State Pension will rise by whichever of three figures is highest;
- CPI inflation
- average UK wage growth
- a flat 2.5 %
So that pensioners’ income never falls behind prices or earnings.
The policy was announced in George Osborne’s Emergency Budget on 22 June 2010, the first Budget of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition led by Prime Minister David Cameron, and it first applied to payments from April 2011.
How the triple lock delivered a 4.1 % rise this year
- Average UK earnings growth (May–Jul 2024) came in at 4.1 %, beating CPI inflation (3 %) and the 2.5 % floor.
- Under the triple lock guarantee, the State Pension therefore rises by 4.1 % for 2025/26.
- The same percentage uplift is applied to: the full new and basic pensions; any protected payments or SERPS/S2P additions; deferred pension increments.
- Next year’s increase will again be based on the highest of September-2025 CPI, May-Jul 2025 average earnings, or 2.5 %.
Why it matters:
A seemingly small percentage uplift compounds over decades, so staying informed – and plugging NI gaps – is crucial.
Full new State Pension (£230.25 pw)
The new State Pension is the flat-rate benefit paid to anyone who reaches State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016 (men born 6 Apr 1951 or later, women born 6 Apr 1953 or later). For the 2025/26 tax year the full weekly rate is £230. 25 (about £11,973 a year).
Who gets the full amount?
- 35 qualifying National Insurance years are usually required. Every missing year reduces the payment by 1/35th (≈ £6.58 pw).
- You need at least 10 qualifying years to receive anything.
- Years can come from work, NI credits (e.g. Child Benefit, Carer’s Credit) or voluntary Class 3 contributions.
How your figure is worked out
- Starting amount – Your NI record up to 5 April 2016 is converted into a £ value.
- Post-2016 accrual – Each extra qualifying year after that date adds 1/35th until you hit the full rate.
- Protected payment – If your starting amount is above £230.25 (SERPS/S2P additions), the excess is paid on top and uprated by CPI each year.
How your figure is worked out
- Paid four-weekly in arrears straight into your bank account.
- Deferral: every nine weeks you delay adds roughly 1 % (≈ 5.8 % a year) to the payment.
- Overseas payment: you can receive it abroad, but annual increases are frozen in some countries outside the EEA or those without a UK social-security agreement.
- Use HMRC’s online forecast service to see your estimate and any NI gaps.
Basic (pre-2016) Pension & Additions
The basic (or “old”) State Pension applies if you reached State Pension age before
6 April 2016. It can be topped up by one or more “additions” earned during your working life—mainly
the SERPS / State Second Pension and any
GRB.
2025/26 rate & qualifying years
| Element | Weekly Amount | NI Years for full amount |
| Basic State Pension | £176.45 | 30 |
| SERPS / S2P | Variable based on earnings and any contracted out period | No minimum years |
| Graduated Retirement Benefit | Avergae c. £2-11 per week | Earned Via "Stamps" between 1961-75 |
Understanding the additions
- SERPS / State Second Pension – extra amount linked to your salary between 1978-2016. If you were contracted out, your SERPS is lower or nil.
- Graduated Retirement Benefit (GRB) – small pension earned before 1975 by buying “graduated stamps”.
- Both additions rise each April by the CPI inflation rate (they are not covered by the triple lock).
Can you boost or inherit the old pension?
- Spouse / civil partner increase – if both partners reached State Pension age before 6 Apr 2016, the lower-earning partner can top up to up to £105.70 pw using the other’s NI record.
- Widow(er)’s rights – you may inherit up to 100 % of your late spouse’s SERPS or GRB, plus any lump-sum from deferred pension.
- Deferral uplift – delaying your claim adds roughly 10.4 % per full year (1 % for every 5 weeks deferred) – paid as either higher weekly income or a taxable lump sum.
State Pension Age & Eligibility
The UK State Pension age (SPA) is currently 66 for both men and women.
It’s the earliest point you can start receiving your State Pension—different from when you can tap a private or workplace pension.
You can check your exact SPA with our calculator below or on the GOV.UK checker
Who qualifies at State Pension age?
- National Insurance record: you normally need at least 10 qualifying years for any State Pension and 35 years for the full new rate.
- Residency: you must have paid or been credited with UK National Insurance; short overseas periods are fine if contributions were made.
- Application required: it is not automatic—you must claim online, by phone or post within four months of reaching SPA.
- Deferral option: delaying the start increases the amount you receive.
- Overseas claimants: you can usually claim from abroad, but annual increase rules differ by country.
Age rules for men & women
Until 2010, women could draw the State Pension at 60 while men waited until 65.
A series of Acts has now equalised the age for both sexes and set out staged rises as life-expectancy improves.
Today everyone’s minimum age is 66, with legislated moves to 67 by 2028 and a proposed rise to 68 during 2044-46.
- You claim on your SPA date, not the start of the month: the payment is calculated to the exact day.
- Couples can have different SPAs if their birthdays fall either side of a change-over date.
- Future reviews happen at least every five years and can bring timetables forward (but must pass Parliament).
How to Increase Your State Pension
If your projected State Pension looks light, you have three main levers to pull:
- Buy missing National Insurance years
- Defer taking the pension to earn an uplift,
- Claim free NI credits awarded to carers and parents.
Each can add thousands of pounds over retirement provided you follow the rules.
Voluntary NI years
- Buy back gaps from the last 6 tax years – standard deadline 5 April each year
- One-off window to go further back: you have until 5 April 2025 to plug gaps all the way to 2006 (and 2016-18 years) at 2022/23 Class 3
- Class 3 cost 2025/26: about £907 pa for a full missing year—each year bought adds roughly £342 pa to the new pension (break-even ≈ 3 years).
- Always check first: get a free State Pension forecast and call the Future Pension Centre to confirm it’s worth paying. You can alternatively complete a BR19 form and post it in.
- If you live abroad, complete form CF83; pay by international bank transfer.
Deferring your claim
| You reach SPA… | Defer for | Uplift |
|---|---|---|
| On/after 6 Apr 2016 (new pension) | Every 9 weeks | +1 % (≈ 5.8 % pa) |
| Before 6 Apr 2016 (basic pension) | Every 5 weeks | +1 % (≈ 10.4 % pa) or taxable lump-sum option |
- At today’s full new rate (£230.25 pw), deferring 52 weeks yields an extra £13.35 pw; you’d recoup the lost year after roughly 17 years, in gross terms.
- No uplift accrues while you (or a partner) receive certain means-tested benefits.
- Extra pension itself rises with CPI each April and is inheritable in some cases.
Why would anyone defer claiming their state pension?
As shown above if you deferred your state pension for 1 year it would increase the pension amount by 5.8% – so at current rates it would add an additional £694 per year to your pension. But as you gave up one years income so it would take over 17 years to recover that lost income…so why would anyone do it?
The answer is tax!
If you’re still working then the state pension is going to increase your taxable income by the same amount being paid – so if you defer it until you’re either not paying income tax is your only income or you’ll be in a lower tax bracket then the numbers stack up differently.
The current full pension is £11,973 before tax a 1 year deferral raises this to £12,667
| Tax Bracket While Working | Net State Pension | Years To Recover If A None Tax Payer After 1 Year Deferral |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Rate (20%) | £9,578.40 | A little over 3 years (As a none tax payer they will take home an extra £3,088 per year than when they were paying tax). |
| Higher Rate (45%) | £7,183.80 | Just 1 year and 4 months (As a none tax payer they will take home an extra £5,483 per year than when they were paying tax). |
| Additional Rate (40% | £6,585.15 | A little over 1 years (As a none tax payer they will take home an extra £6,081 per year than when they were paying tax). |
This is obviously a simplified example and would be more complex if the pension caused a tax bracket straddling. I have used English tax brackets here but the principle is the same in the rest of the UK.
People often get hung up on the inflation element in this calculation but as both the original and enhanced pension get the same inflation increments it can just be ignored
Given that you keep the enhanced pension permanently it’s clear why someone still working might opt to defer once they consider how much receiving the state pension will increase their income tax.
The main risk is that you don’t live long enough to recover that lost initial income. So it’s important to do the maths to see how long recovery will take.
Claiming credits (carers, child benefit)
- Carer’s Credit – apply if you look after someone 20 hours a week or more. Fills NI gaps automatically.:contentReference.
- Child Benefit credits claiming Child Benefit for a child gives weekly NI credits. There are a significant number of people for whom the link has not been made automatically so if your forecast shows gaps when you were receiving Child Benefit challenge it.
- Specified Adult (grandparent) childcare credits – grandparents or other relatives minding children under 12 can back-claim missed credits.
- Other credits flow from Jobseeker’s Allowance, Maternity Allowance, Universal Credit and more—check your online NI record for gaps.
- Missing credits can often be back-dated so always challeng any gaps.
Married, Civil-Partner & Widow Rules
Your spouse or civil partner’s National Insurance (NI) record, and even their date of death, can affect what you receive from the State Pension. In some cases you cantop up your own pension, inherit an amount from them, or get NI credits for time spent raising children or caring.
Claiming credits (carers, child benefit)
- Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP), 1978-2010 – protected up to 20 years of NI while you claimed Child Benefit for a child under 16. Check your NI record if you were at home during those years; missing HRP can still be added and may boost a married or widow(er)’s
- Modern NI credits – since 2010, Child Benefit, Carer’s Credit (20 h +/week care) and Specified Adult Childcare credits each add qualifying years free. Credits can often be back-dated for up to three years.
- If you waived Child Benefit payments to avoid the High-Income Charge, still send the claim form; the NI credit is what counts.
Married couples’ pension
The derived married woman’s rate applies only if both partners reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 and the wife has little or no NI record of her own.
| 2025/26 weekly rate | Condition |
|---|---|
| £105.70 (60 % of £176.45) | Husband/partner gets full basic pension; wife qualifies on spouse’s record. |
- Apply by contacting the Pension Service; back-payments are normally limited to 12 months, so act quickly.
- If the higher-earning partner defers their pension, the derived amount does not rise until they claim.
- The rule ends with the basic pension generation – no derived rights under the new State Pension.
Pre-97 Additional & Inherited amounts
Forecasting & Applying
Extra State Pension earned before April 1997 via SERPS can be passed on to a spouse or civil partner when the contributor dies.
| Date of death | Maximum SERPS you can inherit |
|---|---|
| Before 6 Oct 2002 | Up to 100 % |
| 6 Oct 2002 – 5 Apr 2004 | Up to 90 % |
| 6 Apr 2004 – 5 Apr 2006 | Up to 80 % |
| 6 Apr 2006 – 5 Apr 2008 | Up to 70 % |
| 6 Apr 2008 – 5 Apr 2010 | Up to 60 % |
| On/after 6 Apr 2010 | Up to 50 % |
Percentages set by the Inherited SERPS Regulations 2001.
- Basic pension inheritance – a widow(er) may get up to the full £176.45 if they don’t already receive that amount themselves.
- Under the new State Pension, only a protected payment (ex-SERPS excess) may be inherited – at 50 %
- Contact the Pension Service within three months of bereavement to ensure no payments are missed.
Get an online forecast (GOV.UK link)
The quickest way to see how much State Pension you could get, when you can get it, and
how to boost it is the free “Check your State Pension forecast” service on GOV.UK. Alternatively you may request one by post using a BR19 form which can be downloaded as a PDF.
Step By Step To Obtain An Online Forecast
- Sign in with your Government Gateway or
GOV.UK One Login (create one in a few minutes with your NI number and ID). - Verify security by text, email or authenticator app.
- View your personalised forecast:
- estimated weekly amount (at today’s rates),
- your exact SPA date,
- number of qualifying NI years and any gaps,
- options to fill gaps online with Class 3 payments if eligible.
- Download or print the forecast for your records.
If you cannot use the online service
Trouble with the government gateway? Ask the Future Pension Centre for a posted forecast call on 0800 731 0175 (from the UK, Monday–Friday). Or print and post a BR19.
Step-by-step claim process
You do not get the State Pension automatically you actually have to claim it – I’ve outlined the steps below to start payments on time.
- Look out for the invitation letter The DWP posts a letter with an invitation code about 4 months before you reach State Pension age (SPA). No letter? If you are within 3 months of SPA you can request a code online.
- Gather the details you’ll need • National Insurance number & marital-status dates • Dates you lived or worked abroad • UK bank or building-society account • Invitation code (for online claims):contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
- Choose a claim route
Method How When Online (fastest) Start now Sign in with Government Gateway / One Login. Any time within 4 months of SPA. Phone Call 0800 731 7898 (Mon–Fri, 8 am–6 pm). Textphone 0800 731 7339. If you reach SPA in the next 4 months. Post Ring the same number for form BR1 or download it, then post to: Pension Service 8, Post Handling Site B, Wolverhampton WV98 1AF. Send anytime from 4 months before SPA. - Get your decision letter The Pension Service confirms acceptance and tells you the first payment date (usually within 5 weeks after SPA, paid four-weekly).
- Keep details up to date Report any change of address, bank or marital status using Contact the Pension Service. If you decide to defer, simply do nothing, your pension will start accruing the uplift automatically.
Overseas & special cases note
Claiming from abroad? Use theInternational Pension Centre. Different rules apply in Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man.
Payments, Tax & Timing
Knowing when your State Pension lands and how it’s taxed helps you budget—and avoid nasty surprises from HMRC.
Weekly v monthly, paid in arrears
- Paid every 4 weeks in arrears straight into your chosen UK bank or building-society account.
- The weekday depends on the last 2 digits of your National Insurance number: 00-19 (Mon) · 20-39 (Tue) · 40-59 (Wed) · 60-79 (Thu) · 80-99 (Fri).
- First payment: arrives at the end of the first full 4-week pay cycle after your chosen start date—so typically 5–6 weeks after SPA.
- 13 payments in some tax years: because “4-weekly” ≈ 28 days, you will receive 13 deposits per year.
- The frequency is fixed for the State Pension; there is no monthly option.
Income-tax treatment (PAYE)
- The State Pension is taxable income, but the DWP pays it gross (no tax deducted).
- If you also get a private or workplace pension, HMRC tells one provider to collect the tax due on your State Pension through the PAYE code applied to that pension.
- If the State Pension is your only income and it pushes you over your Personal Allowance (£12,750 for 2025/26), HMRC issues a Simple Assessment bill each autumn.
- Still working? Your employer’s PAYE code will be adjusted to cover any tax due on the pension. Self-employed claimants account for it on their Self-Assessment return.
State Pension FAQs
How much is the State Pension per year?
The full new State Pension is £230.25 a week – about £11,973 a year. The full basic State Pension is £176.45 a week – roughly £9,175 a year. Your personal figure may be lower (fewer NI years) or higher if you have a protected payment.
When do I get my State Pension?
You receive it from your State Pension age – currently 66 – but only after you claim. The first payment arrives within 5 weeks after that date and then every four weeks.
What is the State Pension?
A government-backed, inflation-linked income paid for life to people who have built up enough National Insurance (NI) years. It’s not means-tested and is separate from any private or workplace pension.
How much is the State Pension going up?
From 7 April 2025 it rises by 4.1 % under the triple lock. The full new rate increases from £221.20 to £230.25 a week.
What is the married couples’ State Pension?
If both partners reached pension age before 6 April 2016, a wife with little NI record can claim 60 % of her husband’s basic pension – £105.70 a week in 2025/26. No equivalent exists under the new system.
How can I increase my State Pension?
- Buy missing NI years (Class 3 contributions).
- Claim NI credits (Child Benefit, Carer’s Credit, etc.).
- Defer the pension – every 9 weeks delayed adds 1 % to the new pension.
What age does a woman get the State Pension?
Exactly the same as men: 66 today, rising to 67 between April 2026 – April 2028 and proposed to reach 68 in 2044-46.
What is the pre-97 Additional State Pension?
It’s the SERPS earnings-related element built up before 6 April 1997. It’s paid on top of the basic pension and can be partly inherited by a spouse.
How much can a widow or widower get?
They may inherit up to 100 % of their late spouse’s basic pension and up to 50 – 100 % of any SERPS, depending on the death date. Under the new pension they can inherit 50 % of a protected payment.
How do I get a State Pension forecast?
Use the free GOV.UK service: Check your State Pension forecast, or phone the Future Pension Centre on 0800 731 0175.
How do I apply for the State Pension?
Apply online, by phone (0800 731 7898) or by post (form BR1) up to 4 months before you reach State Pension age.
Is the State Pension taxed at source?
No. It’s paid gross. HMRC usually collects any tax due by adjusting the PAYE code on another pension or salary, or via a Simple Assessment.
Is the State Pension paid in arrears or in advance?
In arrears – you’re paid every 4 weeks after you’ve accrued the entitlement.
How many years of NI do I need for the UK State Pension?
You need at least 10 qualifying years for any pension and 35 years for the full new rate.
Tools & Further Reading
Bookmark the resources below to double-check figures, plug National Insurance gaps or dive deeper into State Pension rules. All links open in a new tab.
Handy Online Tools
Handy online tools
- State Pension Age calculator – shows your exact SPA date.
- Check your State Pension forecast – GOV.UK secure service for balance & NI gaps.
- Voluntary NI contribution checker – see which years you can buy.
- Future Pension Centre phone/email – confirm if buying years will pay off.
- Deferral gain calculator – estimate the break-even point if you delay claiming.
Official Guidance and Legislation
Need Personal Advice?
Warning
Information on this page is for guidance only and does not constitute personal financial advice. Bloomfield Financial Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 769848).
If you do require personal advice on any retirement matters please feel free to schedule a compltly free initial consultation.
