The State Pension is a regular payment from the government once you reach State Pension age, based on your National Insurance record. It is not means-tested and not automatic: you have to claim it. This guide explains how much you get, how the amount is worked out, and how to claim.
Key points
✓Full new State Pension: £241.30 a week (2026/27), if you reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016
✓You need 35 qualifying National Insurance years for the full amount, and at least 10 to get anything
✓Full basic State Pension (if you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016): £184.90 a week
✓Not paid automatically: you must claim it, usually after an invitation letter about 4 months beforehand
✓Goes up every April under the triple lock: the highest of inflation, average earnings growth, or 2.5%
How much is the State Pension?
Which State Pension you get, and how much, depends on when you reached State Pension age:
State Pension
Full weekly rate (2026/27)
Who it's for
New State Pension
£241.30
Reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016
Basic State Pension
£184.90
Men born before 6 April 1951, women born before 6 April 1953
For the new State Pension, you need 35 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to get the full £241.30 a week, and at least 10 qualifying years to get anything at all. With 11 to 34 qualifying years you get a proportion in between: each qualifying year is worth roughly £6.89 a week, so 20 years gives you around £137.80 a week, and the 10-year minimum is worth around £68.90 a week.
Were you contracted out before 2016? If your National Insurance record started before April 2016 and you or your employer paid into a workplace or personal pension instead of the Additional State Pension (called being "contracted out"), you may need more than 35 qualifying years to reach the full rate. If you would have got more under the old rules, the difference is paid on top as a "protected payment".
A qualifying year is one where you worked and paid National Insurance, got National Insurance credits (for example while unemployed, ill, or a parent or carer), or paid voluntary contributions. See our State Pension forecast guide to check your own record and what you're on track to get.
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How the State Pension goes up each year: the triple lock
Your weekly State Pension amount rises every April. The government increases it by whichever of these three figures is highest, a system known as the triple lock:
✓Yes: Inflation: the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the previous September
✓Yes: Average earnings growth between May and July of the previous year
✓Yes: 2.5%
This is how the full new State Pension rose from £230.25 to £241.30 a week for 2026/27.
The triple lock does not apply to everything you might be paid alongside your State Pension. The Additional State Pension (part of the old State Pension system) and any extra amount you get from deferring your claim rise with CPI inflation only, not the triple lock.
How to claim your State Pension
Your State Pension is not paid automatically. You have to claim it, and there is no time limit for doing so.
1
Wait for your invitation letter
You should get a letter around 4 months before you reach State Pension age, with an invitation code. If you have not received it within 3 months of your State Pension age, or you've lost it, you can ask GOV.UK to send you a new one.
2
Claim online, by phone, or by post
If you live in England, Scotland or Wales, claim online at gov.uk or by phone or post through the Pension Service. If you live in Northern Ireland, claim online through nidirect or by phone or post through the Northern Ireland Pension Centre. If you live outside the UK, contact the International Pension Centre.
3
Choose to claim now, or defer
You do not have to claim as soon as you reach State Pension age. If you delay claiming, it automatically defers and you build up extra State Pension for later. See our guide on what deferring is worth.
Pension Service: 0800 731 0469. Northern Ireland Pension Centre: use the contact details on nidirect. Both lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
Increasing your State Pension
If your forecast shows you are not on track for the full amount, you have a few options:
✓Yes: Check if you're missing free National Insurance credits, for example for time spent unemployed, ill, or caring for someone. Some credits can be backdated.
✓Yes: Consider paying voluntary Class 3 National Insurance contributions to fill gaps in your record.
✓Yes: Once you reach State Pension age, check if you can claim Pension Credit to top up a low income.
✓Yes: Delay claiming your State Pension. Every 9 weeks you defer adds 1% to your weekly payment for life, which works out at just under 5.8% for a full year.
For example, deferring the full new State Pension of £241.30 a week for a full year (52 weeks) adds about £13.99 a week for life. You can instead take what you deferred as a one-off lump sum covering up to 52 weeks, worth £12,547.60 if you defer the full new State Pension for a full year.
Tax on your State Pension
Your State Pension is paid without any tax taken off, but it counts as taxable income. You stop paying National Insurance once you reach State Pension age, but you still pay Income Tax if your total income is above your Personal Allowance, £12,570 for 2026/27.
If the State Pension is your only income, the full new State Pension of £241.30 a week (about £12,548 a year) is currently below the Personal Allowance, so most people pay no Income Tax on it. If you have other income, such as a workplace pension or wages, your tax code is usually adjusted so the tax owed on your State Pension is collected from that other income instead.
Living abroad: when your State Pension is frozen
Your State Pension only increases each year if you live in the European Economic Area, Gibraltar, Switzerland, or a country that has a social security agreement with the UK covering pension uprating. If you live elsewhere, including Canada or New Zealand, your payments are frozen at the rate in force when you first became entitled to them, or when you moved abroad if later. Your pension goes back up to the current rate if you return to live in the UK.
If you are already retired abroad, or thinking about it, contact the International Pension Centre for advice on how your pension would be affected.
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Frequently asked questions
How much is the State Pension in 2026/27?
The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week for people who reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016. The full basic State Pension, for men born before 6 April 1951 and women born before 6 April 1953, is £184.90 a week. You need 35 qualifying National Insurance years for the full new State Pension, and at least 10 to get anything.
What is the State Pension triple lock?
The triple lock is the government's policy of increasing the State Pension every April by whichever is highest of: inflation (the Consumer Price Index for the previous September), average earnings growth between May and July of the previous year, or 2.5%. It does not apply to the Additional State Pension or to extra amounts from deferring, which rise with inflation only.
How many National Insurance years do I need for a full State Pension?
For the new State Pension, most people need 35 qualifying years to get the full £241.30 a week, and at least 10 qualifying years to get anything. If your National Insurance record started before April 2016 and you were contracted out of the Additional State Pension, you may need more than 35 years.
Is the State Pension paid automatically?
No. You must claim it. You should get an invitation letter around 4 months before you reach State Pension age. There is no time limit for claiming, and if you delay it automatically defers, building up extra State Pension for when you do claim.
Is the State Pension taxable?
Yes, it counts as taxable income, though it's paid without tax taken off. You stop paying National Insurance at State Pension age. If the State Pension is your only income it's currently below the standard Personal Allowance of £12,570, so most people pay no Income Tax on it; if you have other income, your tax code is adjusted instead.
Can I get my State Pension if I live abroad?
Yes, but it will only increase each year if you live in the European Economic Area, Gibraltar, Switzerland, or a country with a social security agreement with the UK covering pension uprating. Otherwise your payments are frozen at the rate when you became entitled to them or moved abroad, and go back up to the current rate if you return to live in the UK.
What's the difference between the new and basic State Pension?
The new State Pension is for people who reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016; the full rate is £241.30 a week. The basic State Pension is for men born before 6 April 1951 and women born before 6 April 1953; the full rate is £184.90 a week, and it can come with an Additional State Pension on top.
How do I increase my State Pension?
Check for missing National Insurance credits, consider paying voluntary contributions to fill gaps, or defer claiming: every 9 weeks you defer adds 1% to your weekly payment for life, just under 5.8% for a full year deferred. Once you reach State Pension age, a low income may also qualify you for Pension Credit.