UK State Pension calculator 2026/27

Enter your qualifying years to see your weekly and yearly State Pension, what each missing year costs, whether filling a gap pays off and what delaying your claim adds.

Your State Pension a week

£206.83

£10,755 a year · £896 a month

30 qualifying years
Full rate £241.30
£34.47 a week below the full rate

With 30 qualifying years out of the 35 for the full rate, you would get £206.83 a week, £10,755.16 a year. Each missing year costs about £6.89 a week.

Filling one gap year with voluntary Class 3 National Insurance costs £956.80 (52 weeks at £18.40) and adds £358.50 a year to your pension: it pays itself back in about 2 years and 8 months of pension.

Exact for people with no National Insurance record before 6 April 2016. If you have earlier years, your starting amount may be higher or lower: your State Pension forecast on GOV.UK is the figure to rely on.
The full rate rises every April by the highest of earnings growth, prices or 2.5%, so what you get when you claim will be higher than today’s figure.

I’m not an accountant or a financial advisor. This is an estimate, for information only. Check with a professional before you decide.

Your numbers

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Qualifying years on your record now

Tax years in which you worked and paid National Insurance, got National Insurance credits (for example as a parent or carer, or while unemployed or ill) or paid voluntary contributions. Your State Pension forecast on GOV.UK shows them.

Years you expect to add before State Pension age

Tax years you still expect to work, or get credits, until you reach State Pension age. Enter 0 if you are already there.

Weeks you might delay claiming (optional)

If you do not claim at State Pension age it is deferred. For every 9 weeks you delay (at least 9), your weekly pension rises by 1% for life, or you can take up to 52 weeks as one payment. Enter 0 to ignore.

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What your record is worth
	Qualifying years	30 of 35
	Share of the full rate	85.7%
	A week	£206.83
	A four-week payment	£827.32
	A year (52 weeks)	£10,755.16
	A month on average	£896.26
	Each qualifying year adds	£6.89 a week

How it works

The full rate of the new State Pension is £241.30 a week in 2026/27 and needs 35 qualifying years. You need at least 10 years to get any pension. For the years in between, each one counts for one thirty-fifth of the full rate, about £6.89 a week.
The weekly pension is the full rate × your qualifying years ÷ 35, rounded to the penny. The year is 52 weeks, and the pension is paid every 4 weeks.
A gap year can be filled with voluntary Class 3 contributions at £18.40 a week, £956.80 for 52 weeks; the added pension of £358.50 a year pays that back in about 2 years and 8 months. If you delay claiming, 1% is added for every 9 weeks, at least 9 weeks, or you can take up to 52 weeks as a lump sum.

Worked example

30 qualifying years: £241.30 × 30 ÷ 35 = £206.83 a week, £10,755.16 a year (52 weeks), £896.26 a month on average, £34.47 a week below the full rate. With the full 35 years the year comes to £12,547.60, the figure GOV.UK uses for 52 weeks of arrears.

Sources

Text checked on October 13, 2026

Good to know

The most reliable figure is your own State Pension forecast on GOV.UK. It shows your record, your State Pension age and your amount, and it covers the starting amount for years before 2016.
A qualifying year does not need a full year of work: low earnings can count as credited, and National Insurance credits, for example for a parent or carer or while ill or unemployed, can fill years too.
Check for gaps before you pay for any. Years where you were contracted out count as qualifying years, and you can only pay voluntary contributions for the past 6 years, up to 5 April.
Delaying is not free money: the extra is paid for life, but it takes over 15 years to get back one year of delayed pension, and the extra can be taxed.
Tax: the State Pension counts towards your total income, and you pay Income Tax if the total is more than your Personal Allowance. Other income decides how much you pay.
This is an estimate. Your forecast and your award letter are the official figures.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the full State Pension in 2026/27?

The full rate of the new State Pension is £241.30 a week, £12,547.60 over 52 weeks. You need 35 qualifying years to get it.

How many years do I need for the State Pension?

At least 10 qualifying years to get any new State Pension, and 35 for the full amount. In between, each year gives one thirty-fifth, about £6.89 a week.

Is it worth paying voluntary National Insurance to fill a gap?

Often, if you will live long enough: a year costs £956.80 in 2026/27 and adds about £358.50 a year to your pension, so it pays back in under 3 years. Check that the gap can still be filled and that you do not need the year already.

What happens if I delay my State Pension?

You get 1% more for every 9 weeks you delay, at least 9 weeks, for life, or you can take up to 52 weeks as a one-off payment. For 52 weeks that is just under 5.8% more.

Does the State Pension go up every year?

Yes. The new State Pension rises each April by the highest of earnings growth, price inflation or 2.5%.

Why is my forecast different from this page?

If you have National Insurance years before April 2016, your forecast starts from a «starting amount» that can be above or below the 35-year rule. The forecast is the figure to trust.