The new State Pension: how your amount is worked out and how to check it
Published · 5 min read · Figures checked . UK rules and rates change, so check the official sources below before you act.
The new State Pension is based on your National Insurance record, not on a flat entitlement. This guide explains the 2026/27 full rate, qualifying years, the starting amount, how to claim and how to see your own forecast.
What the new State Pension is
The new State Pension is the regular payment from government that many people can claim once they reach State Pension age, the earliest age at which the State Pension can be paid. It applies to men born on or after 6 April 1951 and women born on or after 6 April 1953. Anyone born before those dates receives the basic State Pension instead, which follows older rules and is not covered here. What you receive depends on your National Insurance record, the history of contributions and credits built up over your life.
The key figures and limits
As of 20 October 2026, the full rate of the new State Pension is £241.30 a week for the 2026/27 tax year, which runs from April 2026 to April 2027. Over 52 weeks that is £12,547.60 a year, usually paid as £965.20 every four weeks (£241.30 x 4). Each April the rate rises by the highest of average wage growth in Great Britain, UK consumer price inflation (CPI) or 2.5%, so the amount you read in a future year will be different. Many people receive less or more than the full rate, because the amount reflects individual records.
Qualifying years: how they are built
A qualifying year is a tax year that counts towards your State Pension. A year can count if you were working and paying National Insurance, if you received National Insurance credits (for example while unemployed, ill, or caring for a child or another adult), or if you paid voluntary contributions. Time lived or worked abroad, or reduced-rate National Insurance paid by some married women, can also count. You need 10 qualifying years to get any new State Pension at all. With fewer than 10 years, you usually get nothing from it, which is why gaps in a record can matter more for people with short working histories in the UK.
For people whose National Insurance record began after April 2016, 35 qualifying years generally gives the full rate. If you have between 10 and 34 years, you generally receive a proportion of the full amount. People who started paying before April 2016 are handled slightly differently, which leads to the idea of a starting amount, explained below.
The starting amount and protected payment
If you built up National Insurance before 6 April 2016, your record is converted into a starting amount. This is the higher of two figures: what you would have received under the old system, or what the new system would have paid had it applied from the start of your working life. If your starting amount is below the full new rate, your forecast shows whether more qualifying years could raise it. If it is above the full rate, the excess is called a protected payment. It is paid on top of the full amount and increases each year in line with CPI. People who were contracted out of the older additional State Pension often need more than 35 years to reach the full rate.
A worked example
These figures are illustrative only and simplify the rules by assuming a plain proportional calculation with no starting-amount complications. For example, suppose someone has 28 qualifying years. Their share of the 35 needed is 28 / 35 = 0.8, and 0.8 x £241.30 = £193.04 a week. A person with 20 years would have 20 / 35 of the full rate, which is about £137.89 a week (£241.30 x 20 / 35). A person with 9 years would not meet the 10-year minimum. The real figure for any individual is shown in their forecast, which reflects their actual record, so these numbers show the principle rather than a prediction for anyone.
How to check and how to claim
The GOV.UK State Pension forecast service shows how much you could get, when you can get it, and whether you can increase it, for example by paying to fill gaps in your National Insurance record. You sign in with GOV.UK details and may be asked to prove your identity; a forecast can also be reached through the HMRC app. If you are more than 30 days from State Pension age, you can instead request a forecast by post using form BR19 or by phoning the Future Pension Centre. The forecast is not a guarantee, because State Pension age is regularly reviewed and results may change.
The new State Pension is not paid automatically; you have to claim it. You normally receive an invitation letter with a code before State Pension age. If you have not received one but are within three months of State Pension age, you can ask for an invitation code. You can claim online, or by phone or post through the Pension Service. Claiming works differently from Northern Ireland or from abroad. Once it is in payment, it is usually paid into your account every four weeks, with the first payment arriving no later than five weeks after the date you choose.
Common mistakes and where to get free help
- Assuming the full rate is automatic: it generally needs 35 qualifying years, and 10 are needed for any amount.
- Waiting to check until just before State Pension age, when options for filling gaps can be more limited.
- Forgetting that you have to claim, because payment does not begin on its own.
Free, impartial help is available from MoneyHelper, run by the Money and Pensions Service, from the Pension Service and Future Pension Centre, and from Citizens Advice. This is general information, not personal advice, and many people find it useful to look at their own forecast before making any decisions.
Check before you act
Rates, State Pension age and rules change, so confirm the figures on the official pages linked below before relying on them.
Sources
For information only. See our disclaimer and editorial standards. Spotted an error? Tell us.
