UK State Pension Calculator 2026/27
Estimate your weekly and annual State Pension based on qualifying National Insurance years. The 2026/27 full new State Pension is £241.30 a week for those with 35 qualifying years (or pro-rata from 10 years upwards); the basic State Pension full rate is £184.90 a week for those with 30 years. Rates confirmed by the DWP for the year starting 6 April 2026.
Forecast scenarios
- Full new State Pension (35 years)£241/week£12,548/year - 100% of full
- 30 years (new scheme)£207/week£10,755/year - 85.7% of full
- 25 years (new scheme)£172/week£8,963/year - 71.4% of full
- 15 years (new scheme)£103/week£5,378/year - 42.9% of full
- 10 years (minimum new)£69/week£3,585/year - 28.6% of full
- Full basic State Pension (30 years)£185/week£9,615/year - 100% of full
Cite or embed - free under CC BY 4.0
Frequently asked questions
- What is the new State Pension full rate for 2026/27?
- The new State Pension full rate for 2026/27 is £241.30 a week, or roughly £12,547.60 a year. This is the rate confirmed by the DWP in their Proposed Benefit and Pension Rates 2026 to 2027 document (last updated 16 February 2026) and takes effect from 6 April 2026 under the triple-lock uplift formula.
- How many qualifying years do I need for the full new State Pension?
- You need 35 qualifying National Insurance years for the full new State Pension. A qualifying year is one where you either paid Class 1 / Class 2 NI, received NI credits (e.g. while on JSA, ESA, or Child Benefit for a child under 12), or paid voluntary Class 3 contributions to fill gaps. You need at least 10 qualifying years to receive any new State Pension.
- What if I have fewer than 35 years?
- Below 35 qualifying years you receive a pro-rated amount: years_held / 35 x £241.30 per week. For example, 25 qualifying years gives you 25/35 = 71.4% of the full rate, or £172.36 a week. Below 10 qualifying years you receive nothing under the new State Pension (Pension Credit may still be available as a means-tested top-up).
- Can I increase my State Pension by paying voluntary NI?
- Yes - you can pay voluntary Class 3 NI contributions to fill gap years and boost your pension. The standard window is 6 years from the missed year, but a temporary extension allowed filling gaps back to April 2006 (closed in April 2025). Voluntary contribution rates for 2026/27 are £17.75 a week for Class 3 (£923 a year per missed year), which typically pays back within 3 years of retirement at 65/66 - one of the highest-yielding voluntary contributions in UK personal finance.
- Is State Pension taxable?
- Yes - the State Pension is taxable as income, though no tax is deducted at source. It is added to your other income (private pension, employment, savings interest) and the total is taxed at your marginal rate under Self Assessment or via your PAYE tax code if you have other PAYE income. A pension-only retiree with no other income who receives only the full new State Pension (£12,547.60) pays no Income Tax because the figure is below the £12,570 Personal Allowance for 2026/27 - by just £22.40.
- When can I claim my State Pension?
- State Pension Age depends on your date of birth. Current SPA is 66 (men and women equalised). Under existing legislation it rises to 67 between 2026 and 2028, and to 68 between 2044 and 2046. You can check your specific SPA at https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-age. You do not have to claim at SPA - deferring increases your weekly payment by 1% for every 9 weeks deferred under the new State Pension rules.