What is the full State Pension 2026/27?

The full new State Pension is £241.30 per week (£12,547.60 per year) for 2026/27. You need 35 qualifying years of National Insurance to get the full amount. With 10 years, you get the minimum; less than 10 years means no State Pension.

How many years do I need for full State Pension?

35 qualifying years for the full new State Pension. You need at least 10 qualifying years to get any State Pension. Each qualifying year is a year where you paid enough NI, received NI credits, or made voluntary contributions.

When can I claim State Pension UK?

State Pension age is currently 66 for anyone born before 6 April 1960. It's rising to 67 in stages between 2026 and 2028, and a further rise to 68 is legislated for 2044-2046 (though this remains under government review). Check your personal State Pension age on gov.uk — it depends on your date of birth.

Can I increase my State Pension?

Yes — fill NI gaps with voluntary contributions (if within time limits), defer taking it (increases 1% every 9 weeks), or work longer to add qualifying years. Check your NI record on gov.uk to see if you have gaps worth filling.

UK State Pension 2026/27 Quick Reference

A quick reference to State Pension amounts and rules for 2026/27.

Read more: See our State Pension guide for a complete overview of this topic.

State Pension Amounts

Full New State Pension

Period	Amount
Per week	£241.30
Per month	~£1,047
Per year	£12,547.60

Basic State Pension (Pre-2016)

Type	Weekly
Full basic	£184.90

Qualifying Years

What You Need

For	Qualifying Years
Full new State Pension	35 years
Any State Pension	Minimum 10 years
Maximum	35 years

How Years Qualify

Source	Counts?
Working and paying NI	Yes
NI credits (unemployment, sickness)	Yes
Child Benefit (child under 12)	Yes
Carer’s credits	Yes
Voluntary contributions	Yes

Partial State Pension

Qualifying Years	Approximate Weekly
35 years	£241.30 (full)
30 years	£206.83
25 years	£172.36
20 years	£137.89
15 years	£103.41
10 years	£68.94
Under 10	Nothing

Calculation

Formula
Full pension ÷ 35	= value per year
£241.30 ÷ 35	= £6.89 per week per year of NI
Your years × £6.89	= your weekly amount

State Pension Age

Current Age

For	State Pension Age
Born before 6 April 1960	66

Rising to 67

Birth Date	Pension Age
Before 6 April 1960	66
6 April 1960 – 5 March 1961	66 years + 1–11 months (phased, reached 2026–2028)
6 March 1961 onwards	67

Planned Rise to 68

Birth Date	Pension Age
Before 6 April 1977	67
6 April 1977 onwards	67, possibly rising to 68

Note: The rise to 68 is legislated for 2044–2046 but remains under a live government review (launched 2025). No revised date has been confirmed — treat 67–68 as a planning range for anyone born after April 1977.

Checking Your Entitlement

What to Check

Resource	URL
State Pension forecast	gov.uk/check-state-pension
NI record	gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record
State Pension age	gov.uk/state-pension-age

Your Forecast Shows

Information	Details
Current estimate	What you’d get now
Full estimate	If you keep working
Qualifying years	How many you have
Gaps	Years missing
Pension age	When you can claim

Filling NI Gaps

Voluntary Contributions

Class	Weekly Rate
Class 3	£18.40 (2026/27)
Approx. annual cost	~£956.80

When It’s Worth It

Consider	If
Close to 35 years	May not need
Under 10 years	Worth getting to 10
Good health	Longer to benefit
Other pension	May not need full SP

Time Limits

Gap Year	Deadline to Fill
Generally	Within 6 tax years (deadline is 5 April)
Pre-2016/17 gaps (back to 2006/07)	Extended deadline closed 5 April 2025 — no longer available

Return on Investment

Cost	Benefit
~£956.80 per year	One qualifying year
Each year adds	~£6.89/week
= £358.50/year	Extra pension
Break even	~2.7 years

Deferring State Pension

How Deferral Works

Delay	Benefit
Every 9 weeks	+1% to pension
Per year	+5.8%
Must be	Whole weeks

Example Deferral

Deferral	Weekly Pension
None	£241.30
1 year	£255.30
2 years	£269.29
5 years	£311.28

Is Deferral Worth It?

Factor	Consider
Life expectancy	Need ~17 years to benefit
Other income	Can you wait?
Tax	Higher pension = more taxable
Health	Personal factor

Working Past Pension Age

Benefits

Advantage	Details
No NI	Don’t pay after pension age
Extra income	Pension + salary
Defer pension	For higher amount
Still pay tax	On earnings

Tax Implications

Income Source	Taxable?
State Pension	Yes
Employment	Yes
Combined	Added together

Triple Lock

How It Works

Increases By	Highest Of
Inflation	CPI September
Earnings	Average growth
Minimum	2.5%

Recent Increases

Year	Increase
2024/25	8.5%
2025/26	4.1%
2026/27	4.8%

Summary

Key Figures	2026/27
Full pension	£241.30/week
Annual amount	£12,547.60
Years needed	35 (10 minimum)
Current pension age	66 (rising to 67 by 2028)

Action Items	Check
Your forecast	gov.uk
Your NI record	Any gaps?
Your pension age	When?
Worth topping up?	Value per year

Quick Lookup	Amount
Per qualifying year	~£6.89/week
Deferral increase	5.8%/year
Minimum years	10
Full pension years	35