The State Pension is a regular government payment you can claim when you reach State Pension age. How much you get depends on your National Insurance record.
This article covers the new State Pension, for people who reach State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016.
If you reached that age earlier, the basic State Pension rules apply. You may also qualify for Additional State Pension, an extra payment built up under the old system.
When you can claim
Your State Pension age depends on your date of birth. Check your State Pension age to find out when you can claim.
Qualifying for the State Pension
You normally need at least 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to get any new State Pension. These years do not have to be consecutive.
You can build up qualifying years through:
- work where you pay National Insurance or are treated as having paid it
- National Insurance credits, for example when you qualify as a parent or carer, or because of unemployment or illness
- voluntary National Insurance contributions
Check which National Insurance credits you can get. Some credits are automatic, while others need an application.
Different rules may help you qualify if you have lived or worked abroad.
Getting the full amount
If you had no National Insurance record before 6 April 2016, you need 35 qualifying years for the full amount.
If your record started earlier, the calculation also takes account of the old rules. Having 35 years does not always mean you will get the full amount.
For example, you may need more years if you were ‘contracted out’. This meant you or your employer paid less towards the State Pension and more into a workplace or private pension.
Check your State Pension forecast to see how much you could get and whether you can increase it.
Before paying voluntary contributions, check whether they will increase your pension. Filling a gap does not always increase your payment.
How much you get
The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week for the 2026 to 2027 tax year. This runs from 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027.
Your amount may be lower, depending on your National Insurance record. Some people receive more because they built up extra entitlement under the old system.
You can check the current State Pension rate and calculation rules on GOV.UK.
Tax on your State Pension
The State Pension counts as taxable income. Whether you owe tax depends on your total income and your tax allowances.
The standard Personal Allowance is £12,570 for the 2026 to 2027 tax year. This is the income you can usually receive before paying Income Tax.
At the full weekly rate, 52 weeks of new State Pension comes to £12,547.60. If this is your only income and you get the standard Personal Allowance, it falls below the tax threshold.
Other income, including earnings or a workplace pension, could take you over that threshold.
Tax is not deducted from the State Pension payment itself. Your employer or private pension provider will usually collect any tax owed through your wages or pension.
If the State Pension is your only income and you owe tax, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will send you a bill. Read how tax on pensions is paid for the rules that apply to your income.
How the triple lock works
The triple lock is the government’s policy for increasing the full new State Pension and the basic State Pension each April.
Under this policy, the increase matches the highest of:
- average earnings growth
- inflation measured by the previous September’s Consumer Prices Index (CPI)
- 2.5%
The policy aims to help pensions keep pace with rising prices and wages. It does not guarantee that your pension will cover every increase in your own living costs.
The triple lock is a government policy, rather than a permanent legal guarantee. The legal requirement is to increase these pension rates in line with average earnings. A future government could change the policy.
Not every part of a State Pension payment follows the triple lock. For example, a protected payment for extra entitlement built up before April 2016 rises with CPI instead.
If you live abroad, annual increases depend on where you live.