State Pension Forecast UK — How to Check What You'll Get
How to get your State Pension forecast and understand what it means. Check your predicted amount, National Insurance record, and how to fill contribution gaps.
Pension information is based on current UK legislation. Pensions are regulated by the FCA and The Pensions Regulator. This is not financial advice — consider consulting an FCA-regulated financial adviser.
Contents
Your State Pension forecast is one of the most important financial documents you can access — yet millions of people never check it. Knowing what you’ll receive (and when) lets you plan properly for retirement and spot gaps you can fill to boost your income.
The good news: checking takes about 5 minutes online, and it’s completely free. Even better, many people discover they can increase their pension significantly by buying missing National Insurance years at excellent value.
Understanding your forecast matters now more than ever. With State Pension age rising and retirement costs increasing, you need clarity on what the state will provide and what you’ll need from private pensions or other savings.
This guide shows you how to get your forecast, understand what it means, and take action to maximise your State Pension.
Read more: See our State Pension guide for a complete overview of this topic.
Earning over £129/week (2026/27 Lower Earnings Limit)
Self-employment
Automatic Class 2 credit if profits are at/above the Lower Profits Limit (£7,105/year, 2026/27); voluntary Class 2 NI (£3.65/week) if below it
NI credits
Unemployment, child benefit, caring
Voluntary contributions
Buying missing years
NI Credits (Free Qualifying Years)
Situation
Credit Received
Claiming benefits
JSA, ESA, UC
Child Benefit (child under 12)
Automatic
Carer’s Allowance
Automatic
Jury service (unemployed/not working during service)
Must apply — not automatic
Maternity/paternity
Pay usually covers
Not Building Qualifying Years?
Situation
What Happens
Low earnings
May not qualify
Between jobs
May have gaps
Living abroad
Usually no UK record
At-home parent
Check Child Benefit registered
Checking Your NI Record
How to Check
Step
Action
1
Go to gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record
2
Sign in with Government Gateway
3
View year-by-year record
What to Look For
Record Shows
Meaning
Full year
Qualifying year ✓
Part year
May not count
No record
Gap in contributions
Credits
Received credits
Gaps in Your Record
Gap Type
Options
Missing recent years
May be corrected automatically
Errors
Contact HMRC to fix
Genuine gaps
Consider buying back
Buying Missing Years
Voluntary National Insurance
Feature
Details
What it is
Paying for years you missed
Cost
£956.80/year (2026/27 Class 3 rate)
How far back
Up to 6 years
Worth it?
Usually yes, but check first
Note: The extended deadline to buy years back to 2006 ended in April 2025. You can now only buy years within the last 6 tax years.
Is It Worth Buying?
Consider
Decision
Will it increase your forecast?
Check via gov.uk tool
How far from 35 years?
Buying makes sense if gap exists
Years until pension?
More years = more return
Can you afford it?
It is optional
How to Work Out Value
Example calculation:
Factor
Values
Cost of buying 1 year (2026/27)
£956.80
Extra pension per year
£6.89/week (£358.50/year)
Years to “break even”
£956.80 ÷ £358.50 ≈ 2.7 years
If you live 20 years in retirement
~£7,170 return on £956.80
Usually excellent value if you expect normal life expectancy.
How to Buy Missing Years
Step
Action
1
Check forecast shows buying would help
2
Call HMRC NI helpline: 0300 200 3500
3
Pay by card, direct debit, or bank transfer
4
Years credited to your record
Deadline for Buying Years
Standard Rule
Details
How far back
Last 6 tax years only
Extended deadline
Ended April 2025
Current position
Standard 6-year rule applies
Check your NI record for any gaps within the last 6 years and consider filling them before they move outside the window.
State Pension Age
Current State Pension Age
Birth Date
State Pension Age
Before 6 April 1960
66
6 April 1960 - 5 March 1961
66-67 (varies, phased monthly)
6 March 1961 - 5 April 1977
67
6 April 1977 onwards
67, possibly rising to 68 (under review)
Check Your Exact Date
How
Details
Online
gov.uk/state-pension-age
Enter birth date
Shows exact date
Increasing Your Forecast
Options to Build More Years
Method
How
Keep working
Until 35 years reached
Buy voluntary years
Fill gaps
Claim NI credits
If caring, unemployed, etc.
Register for Child Benefit
Even if not claiming money
If You’re a Stay-at-Home Parent
Action
Benefit
Claim Child Benefit
Gets NI credits if not working
Even if high earner
Register claim, opt out of payment
Grandparents caring
Can transfer credit
Grandparent Childcare NI Credit
Feature
Details
Situation
Grandparent cares for grandchild
Parent working
And claiming Child Benefit
Credit transfer
Parent can transfer NI credit to grandparent
Apply
Form CA9176
Frequently Asked Questions
“Is the forecast guaranteed?”
Answer
Details
It’s an estimate
Based on current rules
Could change
If you stop working
Rules could change
But usually honoured
“What if I’m self-employed?”
Situation
What Happens
Profits at/above the Lower Profits Limit (£7,105/year, 2026/27)
Automatic Class 2 credit — qualifies for State Pension without paying Class 2
Profits below the Lower Profits Limit
Pay voluntary Class 2 NI to get a qualifying year
Check record
Ensure it’s showing
“What about my workplace pension?”
Different
State Pension
Workplace pension
From employer contributions
State Pension
From NI contributions
Both
Add together for retirement income
Summary: State Pension Forecast Checklist
Step
Action
1
Check forecast at gov.uk/check-state-pension
2
Review NI record for gaps
3
Identify missing years within last 6 tax years
4
Calculate if buying years makes sense
5
Consider buying gaps before they fall outside the 6-year window
6
Ensure you’re building years now
7
Check State Pension age
Your State Pension is a valuable part of retirement income — taking 10 minutes to check your forecast could help you plan better and take action to maximise it.