How do I claim my State Pension?

What you need

Before you start, have these ready:

• the date of your most recent marriage, civil partnership or divorce
• the dates of any time you lived or worked abroad, and any foreign social security numbers
• your bank or building society account details
• the invitation code from the letter about your State Pension, if you are claiming online

If you lived or worked in an EEA country or Switzerland, you may be sent extra forms.

How to claim, step by step

1. Wait for your letter. You should get a letter about your State Pension before you reach State Pension age. It explains what to do and includes an invitation code.
2. Claim online. This is the quickest way. Use the code from the letter on the GOV.UK Claim your State Pension service.
3. No letter? If you will reach State Pension age in the next 3 months, you can request an invitation code online.
4. Or claim by phone. If you will reach State Pension age in the next 4 months, call the Pension Service.
5. Or claim by post. Call the Pension Service and ask for a claim form to be sent to you.

Time and cost

Claiming is free. Your first payment arrives no later than 5 weeks after your State Pension start date. You may get a part payment before your first full payment. After that you are paid every 4 weeks.

Your payment day depends on the last two digits of your National Insurance number:

The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week in 2026/27. What you get depends on your National Insurance record.

If you claim later

If you do not claim at State Pension age, your pension is deferred automatically. When you do claim, you can backdate it by up to 12 months and get a one-off payment for that time. For each 9 weeks you defer beyond that, your weekly pension goes up by 1%. That is just under 5.8% for every 52 weeks.

For example, GOV.UK shows that if you defer a full new State Pension for 78 weeks, you can backdate 12 months and get £12,547.60 (£241.30 x 52). The other 26 weeks add £6.97 a week (2.89% of £241.30).

If you live in Northern Ireland

You claim through the Northern Ireland Pension Centre, not the Pension Service. You can claim online, by phone or by post. The claim line is 0808 100 2658, Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm.

If you are retiring abroad, there is a different way to claim.

Related guides

• When can I get my State Pension?
• How much is the State Pension?
• What happens if I delay my State Pension?
• Can I get my State Pension if I live abroad?
• What is Pension Credit?

Where this comes from

• The new State Pension: how to claim (GOV.UK)
• Claim your State Pension online (GOV.UK)
• Contact the Pension Service (GOV.UK)
• The new State Pension: when you're paid (GOV.UK)
• Deferring your State Pension (GOV.UK)
• Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027 (DWP)
• Ways to claim State Pension (nidirect)
• Northern Ireland Pension Centre (Department for Communities)