How much is the State Pension?

For people in England, Scotland and Wales who want to know how much State Pension they could get.

Applies to: England, Scotland, Wales Last checked against official sources: 6 October 2026

The full rate of the new State Pension is £241.30 a week. What you get depends on your National Insurance record.

If your record started after April 2016, you need 35 qualifying years for the full rate.
If you were contracted out before 2016, you usually need more than 35 years.
It rises each year by whichever is highest: earnings or prices (CPI).
Check your own forecast online.

Different in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

Rules may be different in:

Northern Ireland: Check nidirect for Northern Ireland

Key facts

Full rate: £241.30 a week
35 qualifying years for full rate
Rises every year

State Pension rates for 2026/27

Pension	Who it is for	Full weekly rate	Every 4 weeks	Per year (approx.)
New State Pension	Men born on or after 6 April 1951, women born on or after 6 April 1953	£241.30	£965.20	£12,548
Basic State Pension (old)	People who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016	£184.90	£739.60	£9,615

Both rose by 4.8% in April 2026 under the triple lock, which raises the State Pension each year by the highest of earnings growth, price inflation or 2.5%. In 2025/26 the rates were £230.25 and £176.45.

Why you might get more or less than the full rate

For the new State Pension:

you usually need 35 qualifying years of National Insurance to get the full amount
you need at least 10 qualifying years to get anything
between 10 and 35 years, you get a proportion. For example, 20 years usually gives about 20/35 of the full rate, which is roughly £137.89 a week

Your amount can also differ if you were "contracted out" of the additional State Pension before 2016, or if you built up extra under the old system (a "protected payment").

How to find your exact amount

Check your State Pension forecast online on GOV.UK. It shows how much you could get, when you can get it, and whether you could increase it.

Ways to increase it

Fill gaps: you may be able to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions to fill gaps in your record.
Credits: you may get National Insurance credits for time spent caring, claiming certain benefits or raising children under 12 (through Child Benefit).
Defer: if you delay claiming, your State Pension increases for each week you put it off.

Tax

The State Pension is taxable income, but tax is not taken off it before it is paid to you. If your total income is above your Personal Allowance, tax is usually collected through your other pensions or wages, or through Self Assessment.

Related guides

Where these figures come from

The new State Pension (GOV.UK)
The new State Pension: what you'll get (GOV.UK)
Check your State Pension forecast (GOV.UK)
All rates are from the Department for Work and Pensions' official Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027. Rates usually change every April.

Get it done

This takes you to the official service, which is free to use.

Check your State Pension forecast

Common questions

How do I find out what I'll get?

Check your State Pension forecast on GOV.UK. It also shows your National Insurance record.

Can I get more than the full rate?

Yes, if you paid into the Additional State Pension before 2016 you may get a protected payment on top.

Source: The new State Pension: what you'll get

Checked against GOV.UK on 6 October 2026

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