The State Pension: How Much You Get, and When
The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week in the 2026/27 tax year, which works out at £12,547.60 a year. That is after a 4.8% rise in April 2026, driven by wage growth under the triple lock. Most people do not get exactly the full amount, and the age you get it is moving. Here is how the figures break down, when you will reach State Pension age, and how to check what you are actually in line for.
The 2026/27 rates at a glance
There are two State Pension systems, and which one you are in depends on when you reach 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 then, you are on the old system, built around the basic State Pension.
| Weekly (2026/27) | Yearly (2026/27) | |
|---|---|---|
| Full new State Pension | £241.30 | £12,547.60 |
| Full basic State Pension (old system) | £184.90 | £9,614.80 |
Both figures rose by 4.8% in April 2026 because the triple lock tracks whichever is highest of average earnings growth, inflation, or 2.5%. This year earnings growth won. People on the old system may also get additional State Pension on top of the basic amount, depending on their work history (source: House of Commons Library, Benefits Uprating 2026/27).
Why "full" does not mean everyone
The full new State Pension needs around 35 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions or credits. You need at least 10 years to get anything at all. Years spent working, claiming certain benefits, or receiving Child Benefit for a child under 12 all usually count, which is why claiming Child Benefit even when your income is too high to keep it can still be worth doing.
If you have fewer than 35 years, you get a proportion. Each qualifying year is worth roughly 1/35th of the full amount, about £6.89 a week or £359 a year at 2026/27 rates. Some people who were contracted out of the additional State Pension before 2016 may get less than the headline figure even with 35 years, so the only reliable answer is your personal forecast.
Check your forecast first
The free forecast at gov.uk/check-state-pension shows what you are on track for, how many qualifying years you have, and whether you have gaps. It takes a few minutes with a Government Gateway login and it is the single most useful check you can do.
When you get it: the age is rising to 67
The State Pension age was 66 for both men and women, and it is increasing to 67 in stages between April 2026 and March 2028. Two people born a few months apart can wait almost a year longer than each other.
- Born before 6 April 1960: your State Pension age was 66. If you have not claimed yet, nothing changes for you.
- Born 6 April 1960 to 5 March 1961: you are in the transition. Your State Pension age is between 66 and 67, worked out month by month.
- Born 6 March 1961 to 5 April 1977: your State Pension age is 67.
- Born after 5 April 1977: your State Pension age is currently set at 68, with the exact timing still subject to government reviews.
The 66 to 67 transition, month by month
If you were born in the transition window, each month of birth adds roughly a month to your State Pension age. You do not reach it on your birthday, but on a set date.
| Date of birth | Your State Pension age |
|---|---|
| 6 Apr 1960 to 5 May 1960 | 66 years 1 month |
| 6 May 1960 to 5 Jun 1960 | 66 years 2 months |
| 6 Jun 1960 to 5 Jul 1960 | 66 years 3 months |
| 6 Jul 1960 to 5 Aug 1960 | 66 years 4 months |
| 6 Aug 1960 to 5 Sep 1960 | 66 years 5 months |
| 6 Sep 1960 to 5 Oct 1960 | 66 years 6 months |
| 6 Oct 1960 to 5 Nov 1960 | 66 years 7 months |
| 6 Nov 1960 to 5 Dec 1960 | 66 years 8 months |
| 6 Dec 1960 to 5 Jan 1961 | 66 years 9 months |
| 6 Jan 1961 to 5 Feb 1961 | 66 years 10 months |
| 6 Feb 1961 to 5 Mar 1961 | 66 years 11 months |
| 6 Mar 1961 onwards | 67 |
The precise pay date depends on where in the month your birthday falls, so use the official checker on GOV.UK ("Check your State Pension age") for your exact date. It takes under a minute and needs only your date of birth.
When does 68 happen?
Under current law, the rise from 67 to 68 is scheduled for 2044 to 2046, affecting people born on or after 6 April 1977. Treat that date as pencilled in, not carved in stone. Governments review the State Pension age regularly against life expectancy and cost, and past reviews have recommended bringing 68 forward to the late 2030s. No change has been legislated as of August 2026, but anyone now in their 30s or 40s should plan on the assumption that 68 could arrive earlier.
Your private pension age is rising too
Separately from the State Pension, the earliest age you can touch a workplace or personal pension rises from 55 to 57 on 6 April 2028. It catches some people born in 1971 to 1973 in an odd way, and our guide to the rise to 57 covers who is affected.
Can you boost it by deferring?
You do not have to take the State Pension the moment you reach State Pension age. If you delay claiming the new State Pension, it grows by 1% for every nine weeks you defer, which is just under 5.8% for each full year you put it off. On the full rate, a year's deferral adds roughly £725 a year for life once you do claim.
Whether that is a good deal depends on how long you expect to draw it, your health, and whether the extra income would just be taxed away. Deferring makes most sense if you are still working past State Pension age and do not need the money yet. If you are relying on it to live, taking it on time is usually the sensible call.
Yes, the State Pension is taxable
The State Pension counts as taxable income, although it is paid without any tax deducted. The personal allowance is frozen at £12,570, and the full new State Pension is now £12,547.60. That leaves a buffer of just £22.40 a year. So if you get the full amount and have almost any other income, a workplace pension, savings interest above your allowances, or part-time work, some of it will be taxed. HMRC usually collects this through the tax code on your other pension or through Simple Assessment.
If the triple lock produces another rise above about 0.2% in April 2027, the full new State Pension will pass the frozen personal allowance on its own. The government has said pensioners whose only income is the State Pension will not be chased for tiny amounts, but the detail is still emerging, so treat this as one to watch.
Will your pot fill the gap?
£12,548 a year from the state is a foundation, not a retirement plan. Put your numbers into the free calculator to see what your private pension adds on top.
Try the calculator →Filling gaps in your record
If your forecast shows gaps, you can usually pay voluntary Class 3 National Insurance to fill them. In 2026/27 that costs £18.40 a week, or £956.80 for a full year (source: GOV.UK voluntary contribution rates). One extra qualifying year adds about £359 a year to your State Pension for life, so a top-up typically pays for itself within about three years of retirement, then keeps paying.
Two cautions before you pay anything. First, extra years do not always increase your pension, for example if you were contracted out or will reach 35 years anyway before State Pension age. Second, you can normally only go back six years. Ring the Future Pension Centre before parting with money, and they will confirm whether a top-up actually boosts your entitlement. Our guide to National Insurance gaps walks through the whole process.
What this means for your planning
- There is a gap to bridge if you retire early. Stop work at 60 with a State Pension age of 67 and your private pension has to carry seven years alone. Our calculator layers the State Pension on from your State Pension age, so you can see the shape of it.
- The State Pension is worth defending. At £12,548 a year it is the largest guaranteed, inflation-linked income most people will ever have. Filling gaps is often the cheapest retirement income you can buy.
- Work out the whole picture, not just the pot. Our guide to how much you should have in your pension sets the State Pension alongside the private saving you need on top.
Common questions
How much is the State Pension in 2026/27?
The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week, or £12,547.60 a year. The full basic State Pension on the old system is £184.90 a week, or £9,614.80 a year. Both rose by 4.8% in April 2026 under the triple lock, which tracks whichever is highest of earnings growth, inflation or 2.5%.
How many qualifying years do I need?
Around 35 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions or credits for the full new State Pension, and at least 10 years to get anything at all. With fewer than 35 years you get a proportion, roughly 1/35th of the full amount per year, about £6.89 a week or £359 a year at 2026/27 rates.
What is the State Pension age now?
It is rising from 66 to 67 in stages between April 2026 and March 2028. Born before 6 April 1960 and it was 66. Born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961 and it falls somewhere between 66 and 67 depending on your month of birth. Born on or after 6 March 1961 and it is 67.
When does the State Pension age rise to 68?
Under current law it is scheduled for 2044 to 2046, affecting people born on or after 6 April 1977. Treat that as pencilled in rather than settled. Governments review the timetable regularly against life expectancy and cost, and past reviews have recommended bringing 68 forward to the late 2030s.
Is the State Pension taxable?
Yes, although it is paid without tax deducted. The personal allowance is frozen at £12,570 and the full new State Pension is £12,547.60, leaving a buffer of just £22.40 a year. If you get the full amount and have almost any other income, some of it will be taxed, usually collected through the tax code on your other pension or by Simple Assessment.
Is it worth deferring the State Pension?
Deferring the new State Pension grows it by 1% for every nine weeks you delay, just under 5.8% for a full year, which adds roughly £725 a year for life on the full rate. It makes most sense if you are still working past State Pension age and do not need the money. If you are relying on it to live, taking it on time is usually the sensible call.
Sources
- New and basic State Pension rates 2026/27 and the 4.8% uprating: House of Commons Library, Benefits Uprating 2026/27; GOV.UK.
- Qualifying years (35 for the full new State Pension, 10 minimum) and the forecast service: GOV.UK, Check your State Pension forecast.
- State Pension age timetable, including the 66 to 67 transition and the 2044 to 2046 rise to 68: GOV.UK, State Pension age timetable.
- Deferral rate (1% per nine weeks), voluntary Class 3 rate £18.40 a week, and the frozen £12,570 personal allowance: GOV.UK. Figures correct as of August 2026.
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This article is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice. State Pension entitlement depends on your own National Insurance record, and rates and the State Pension age timetable are subject to change. Figures relate to the 2026/27 tax year and are correct as of August 2026. For advice tailored to you, speak to a financial adviser regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), or get free guidance from MoneyHelper.