What is the full State Pension 2025/26?

The full new State Pension is £230.25 per week (£11,973 per year) for 2025/26. 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 everyone. It's rising to 67 between 2026-2028 and planned to increase to 68 between 2044-2046. 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 2025/26 Quick Reference

A quick reference to State Pension amounts and rules for 2025/26.

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	£230.25
Per month	~£1,000
Per year	£11,973

Basic State Pension (Pre-2016)

Type	Weekly
Full basic	£176.45
Over 80	Minimum £105.45

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	£230.25 (full)
30 years	£197.36
25 years	£164.46
20 years	£131.57
15 years	£98.68
10 years	£65.79
Under 10	Nothing

Calculation

Formula
Full pension ÷ 35	= value per year
£230.25 ÷ 35	= £6.58 per year
Your years × £6.58	= your amount

State Pension Age

Current Age

For	State Pension Age
Everyone now	66

Rising to 67

Birth Date	Pension Age
Before 6 April 1960	66
6 April 1960 - March 1961	66 and months
6 April 1961 onwards	67

Planned Rise to 68

Birth Date	Pension Age
Before 6 April 1977	67
6 April 1977 - April 1978	67 and months
After 5 April 1978	68

Note: Age 68 timing subject to government review

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	£17.75 (2025/26)
Annual cost	~£925

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 years
Pre-2006 extension	Check gov.uk

Return on Investment

Cost	Benefit
~£925 per year	One qualifying year
Each year adds	~£6.58/week
= £342/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	£230.25
1 year	£243.60
2 years	£257.90
5 years	£297.05

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%

Summary

Key Figures	2025/26
Full pension	£230.25/week
Annual amount	£11,973
Years needed	35 (10 minimum)
Current pension age	66

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	~£6.58/week
Deferral increase	5.8%/year
Minimum years	10
Full pension years	35