State Pension guide
How much is State Pension in 2026/27?
The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week for the 2026/27 tax year, but your own amount may be lower or higher.
£241.30 weekly
£1,045.63 average monthly equivalent
£12,547.60 over 52 weeks
The current State Pension amount
For 2026/27, the full rate of the new State Pension is £241.30 each week. State Pension is usually paid every four weeks, so a four-week payment at the full rate would be £965.20. The monthly figure above is an average based on 52 weeks divided across 12 months, not the amount of a four-week payment.
The new State Pension applies to men born on or after 6 April 1951 and women born on or after 6 April 1953. People who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 are normally covered by the old system, which includes the basic State Pension and may include Additional State Pension.
How qualifying years affect your amount
If your National Insurance record started after April 2016, you normally need 35 qualifying years for the full new State Pension. You usually need at least 10 qualifying years to receive any new State Pension. The years do not have to be consecutive.
A qualifying year can come from National Insurance contributions paid through work, treated-as-paid contributions at certain earnings, National Insurance credits, self-employment or voluntary contributions. Credits can protect your record during some periods of caring, unemployment or illness.
Simple examples at the 2026/27 rate
For a post-2016 record, a simple estimate divides £241.30 by 35 and multiplies it by qualifying years. That gives approximately £6.89 a week for each year, subject to the 10-year minimum.
- 10 qualifying years: about £68.94 a week
- 20 qualifying years: about £137.89 a week
- 30 qualifying years: about £206.83 a week
- 35 qualifying years: £241.30 a week
These examples are useful for planning, but they are not a substitute for your DWP forecast.
Why your State Pension may be different
Most working-age people have some National Insurance history from before 6 April 2016. DWP gives that record a starting amount. It compares what you had built under the old rules with what the same record would have produced under the new rules, then uses the higher figure after relevant adjustments.
If you were contracted out of the Additional State Pension, you or your employer paid lower National Insurance or directed part of it to another pension. This can reduce the starting amount, which is why some people need more than 35 total years to reach the full new State Pension.
You can also receive more than the standard full rate. A protected payment may apply where your pre-2016 entitlement under the old rules exceeded the new full rate. Deferring a claim can increase payments too. Under the current new State Pension deferral rules, the pension increases by 1% for each nine weeks of deferral, provided the relevant conditions are met.
How the State Pension increases
The new State Pension is normally increased each year under the triple lock. GOV.UK describes this as the highest of average earnings growth in Great Britain, UK CPI inflation or 2.5%. A protected payment is increased in line with CPI rather than the full triple lock.
Rates are set for each tax year, so an amount shown today is not a guaranteed cash figure for the year you retire. Long-term planning should separate today's rate from future inflation-adjusted income.
How to get your exact figure
Use the Check your State Pension forecast service. It can show your current estimate, your National Insurance history and whether filling gaps may improve your pension. Before paying voluntary contributions, check that the payment will actually increase your forecast.
For a quick planning figure, return to our State Pension calculator. You can also read our guides to State Pension age and the new State Pension amount.