State pension
What is it, how much do you get and can you boost it?
The state pension has been increased by 8.5%. As many of us will depend on this pension from the Government upon retirement, it’s crucial to grasp the complexities of the system and know what benefits you are eligible for. This guide will clarify:
- What the state pension is currently
- When you’ll get it
- How much state pension YOU will get
- How you might be able to boost it
How much is the state pension in 2024/25?
The current full state pension stands at £221.20 per week. However, as mentioned earlier, the system is intricate, so not everyone will receive this precise amount.
Your state pension—essentially a retirement income from the Government—is granted based on your contributions to national insurance over your working years or through qualifying for national insurance credits.
The amount you receive is determined by your national insurance record and the exact timing of when you reach state pension age. This will determine your entitlement to one of the two types of state pension.
- Reached state pension age after April 2016?
The highest amount you can receive from the ‘new’ state pension is £221.20 per week. However, your actual payment might be higher or lower based on your specific situation. This amount is part of the flat-rate ‘new’ state pension system that was introduced on 6 April 2016.
- Reached state pension age before April 2016?
Under the previous system, the highest possible ‘basic’ state pension is £169.50 per week. However, your actual amount may vary, depending on your specific situation.
The ‘triple lock’
The triple lock system is designed to preserve the value of the state pension over time. It effectively ensures that the pension increases annually by the greatest of three measures: average earnings growth, inflation as recorded by the Consumer Prices Index, or 2.5%.
At what age will I receive the state pension?
You begin receiving the state pension upon reaching the Government’s designated retirement age. This age varies based on your date of birth. Currently, the state pension age stands at 66 for all individuals, regardless of gender.
In an effort to reduce expenses, the official retirement age is being incrementally increased. It was set at 66 for both men and women starting in April 2020. The age is scheduled to rise to 67 by 2028, with another increase to 68 expected between 2044 and 2046.
To find your exact retirement age, see the Government’s state pension age calculator.
How much state pension will I get?
The amount of state pension you receive is influenced by several factors, with your date of birth and the number of ‘qualifying years’ of national insurance (NI) contributions being particularly crucial.
If you haven’t started claiming your state pension yet, the simplest way to determine the amount you’ll receive is to:
Check your state pension forecast
This forecast will reveal the number of qualifying National Insurance years you’ve accumulated so far and indicate any additional years required to secure the maximum state pension. To access this information, you’ll need to have or create a Government Gateway account using the provided link.
Further details on National Insurance years are included below. The impact on your pension amount will vary based on when you have reached or will reach the state pension age:
‘Qualifying national insurance years’ affect your state pension – but what are they? And how to find out how many you have
Throughout your life, you accumulate qualifying National Insurance (NI) years either through employment where you make NI contributions or by earning NI credits through various qualifying activities.
– To secure a qualifying year while employed, you generally need to meet certain earnings thresholds and contribute the necessary National Insurance (NI) payments. For the tax year 2023/24, these thresholds are:
- For employees: £123 per week, £533 per month, or £6,396 annually.
- For the self-employed: £129 per week, £560 per month, or £6,725 annually.
Thus, if you work full-time, even at the minimum wage or just a few days each week throughout the year, you should be able to achieve a qualifying year. Additionally, these qualifying years don’t need to be consecutive.
– If your income is insufficient to contribute to National Insurance (NI) – such as when you’re receiving benefits due to illness or unemployment – you might be eligible for NI credits to cover any gaps in your record. For example, you can accumulate NI credits for periods spent raising children, caring for someone who is ill or disabled, or participating in full-time training.
In certain cases, these credits are granted automatically, while in others, you will need to submit an application. You can check if you qualify for credits, but you need to wait until a tax year ends on 5 April before you can apply for credits for the previous 12 months.
Again, check how many qualifying years you have by visiting the Gov.uk website, or phone the national insurance helpline on 0300 200 3500 – or see other more accessible contact methods.
Reached (or will reach) state pension age ON OR AFTER 6 April 2016?
Since you are of an age that places you under the new state pension system, the amount of state pension you may receive (if any) is determined by the number of qualifying national insurance (NI) years you have accumulated.
- To get the full new state pension (currently £221.20 a week), you’ll likely need at least 35 qualifying NI years (though some will need many more). Importantly, you don’t need to begin anew from 6 April 2016 – any qualifying years accumulated prior to this date will be counted in addition to those accrued afterward.
Certain individuals can receive more than £221.20 per week. Previously, under the old state pension system, workers could accumulate what was known as the additional state pension (also referred to as the state second pension, S2P, or SERPS), which served as an enhancement to the basic state pension. Although the new rules have eliminated this additional benefit, the Government has permitted many workers in their 40s, 50s, and early 60s to retain their existing entitlements.
Given that most people retiring now or soon will have accrued the majority of their National Insurance record before 2016, determining the number of years required to receive the full state pension is not a straightforward process. The best way to check how much you’re on track to get is to see your state pension forecast.
- To get some of the new state pension, you need at least 10 qualifying NI years. If you have accumulated that number of years or more, you’ll receive a pension amount corresponding to the total years you’ve contributed. For instance, with 23 years of contributions, you would receive approximately two-thirds of the current £221.20 pension, which amounts to around £145. To estimate your potential pension, you can multiply your total years of contribution by £5, which gives a rough idea of the value of each qualifying year.
However, there is a potential drawback. Not all the years you paid National Insurance (NI) may count towards your pension calculation if they are not considered ‘full’ years. This could result in a lower pension amount than expected, in which case you might need to purchase additional NI years to boost your entitlement.
- You won’t get any state pension if you have less than 10 qualifying NI years when you reach state pension age. If this sounds like your situation, you might be eligible to purchase National Insurance contributions to achieve the 10-year requirement. For those who have reached state pension age and have a limited income, pension credit could also provide assistance.
If you reached state pension age before April 2016
Due to your age, you fall within the scope of the previous state pension scheme. Your entitlement to the full weekly amount (currently £169.50) is contingent upon the number of qualifying National Insurance years you have accrued. Additionally, the rules differ based on whether you reached the state pension age before or after 6 April 2010.
- State pension age BEFORE 6 April 2010? If you have accumulated fewer than 25% of the required qualifying years—44 years for men and 39 years for women, which translates to 11 years for men and 10 years for women—you won’t qualify for a basic state pension. On the other hand, if you have at least 25% of the qualifying years, you’re probably entitled to a pro-rata weekly pension amount. For instance, having half the qualifying years means you’d receive approximately half of the full state pension.
If you do not meet the criteria for a basic state pension and lack additional income sources, you may still be eligible for pension credit, which provides a guaranteed minimum income. For further details, refer to our pension credit guide.
- State pension age on or AFTER 6 April 2010 (but before April 2016)? If you have at least one qualifying year, you’ll get one 30th of the full amount for each qualifying year. Therefore, if you’ve 18 qualifying years, you’ll get 18/30ths (three-fifths) of the FULL state pension.
How do I claim the state pension?
While getting your state pension might feel like an official life milestone, you won’t get it automatically – you have to claim it:
- You will receive a letter reminding you to claim before reaching state pension age. No later than two months before you reach your state pension age you should get a letter from the Government’s Pension Service telling you what to do. If you don’t receive a letter, call the telephone claim line on 0800 731 7898, where staff will be able to discuss with you what you need to do. Alternatively, you can find other contact details for the Pension Service, including more accessible methods, on this Gov.uk webpage.
- You then need to make the claim. There are two ways you can do this: by filling in a claim form online, or by calling 0800 731 7898 (8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays) or see the alternative contact details mentioned above. If you were born before 6 April 1951 (men) or before 6 April 1953 (women) you can also download a claim form and send it to:Pension Service 8
Post Handling Site B
Wolverhampton
WV98 1AF
How can I boost my state pension?
You can boost your state pension in three primary ways: by claiming free National Insurance credits, purchasing additional years, or choosing to defer. While claiming free NI credits is straightforward, the other two methods require more thoughtful consideration.
1. See if you’re missing out on free pension-boosting national insurance credits
If you have gaps in your national insurance (NI) record that are preventing you from receiving a full state pension, it’s worth checking if you’re able to plug them for free.
Earning National Insurance (NI) years isn’t solely tied to employment; various other situations can also contribute to your state pension entitlement.
Certain circumstances automatically grant you qualifying years, such as receiving specific benefits, while others require you to actively claim them to affect your state pension.
For instance, if you’ve provided care for a family member under 12 years old before reaching state pension age, you might be eligible for ‘specified adult childcare credits.’ These credits could significantly enhance your state pension value, potentially by thousands of pounds, at no extra cost to you. For further details, refer to our guide on Grandparents’ childcare credits.
Additionally, consult our NI contributions guide for information on other scenarios where you might be missing out on free NI credits.
2. Buy ‘extra’ pension years
If you have extra savings and can set aside the money for a while, you might consider purchasing any missing national insurance qualifying years. This strategy could significantly boost your state pension, potentially transforming an £800 investment into a £5,500 increase.
To determine whether this option is advantageous for you, check out our guide on voluntary national insurance contributions.
3. Defer your state pension
You have the option to delay claiming your state pension, which is known as ‘deferring’ it. This can be advantageous if you’re still employed, as it could result in higher pension payments in the future. If you don’t make a claim, your pension will be automatically deferred.
For additional details on the deferral process, check out our guide titled “Should I Defer My State Pension?”
State pension Q&A
Q – Why might I not get the full state pension?
A – You might not get the full state pension for one of three main reasons:
- You were contracted out. You might not be eligible for the entire flat-rate pension amount due to having been ‘contracted out’ of the state pension previously.
The contracting out scheme, which began in 1978 and concluded on 6 April 2016 with the introduction of the new flat-rate system, permitted individuals contributing to a workplace or private pension to reduce their national insurance contributions towards the additional state pension. In return, they would receive a larger private pension.
If you participated in a salary-related pension (also referred to as a defined benefit) plan, or another type of workplace pension scheme before 6 April 2012, it’s likely you were contracted out of the additional state pension. To find out more, see the Gov.uk website.
- You’re a stay-at-home parent. More than 200,000 stay-at-home parents or carers of under-12s risk losing some state pension because it’s their earning partner who’s registered for child benefit. Even if your partner’s bringing in £50,000 or more a year – the threshold where child benefit starts to reduce on a sliding scale – the non-earner is still entitled to NI credits – so make sure the right person is registered. You can also transfer NI credits from one partner to another to boost your state pension.
- You’re a women who reached state pension age before April 2016. Many women may have received less state pension than they were entitled to, with some potentially missing out on thousands or even tens of thousands of pounds. If you are a married woman who reached state pension age before April 2016, or if you are a widow, divorcee, or over-80 (regardless of marital status), it’s important to review your pension situation. For detailed information, consult our specialized guide on this issue.
Q – How often will I get paid the state pension?
A – The state pension is paid into your bank account every four weeks. If you want to request a change to this frequency, you can call 0800 731 0469.
What day will your pension be paid?
| Last two digits of your NI number | Day your pension will be paid |
| 00 to 19 | Monday |
| 20 to 39 | Tuesday |
| 40 to 59 | Wednesday |
| 60 to 79 | Thursday |
| 80 to 99 | Friday |
It’s worth noting that if you look up your state pension forecast on the Government website, it will give you a monthly amount but your actual state pension will be paid every four weeks. So don’t be concerned if there’s a difference between the two numbers.
Q – Reached state pension age pre-2016? Here’s how the old system worked
A – Instead of a flat-rate payout like the new £221.20 a week (2024/25) state pension, the previous state pension is made up of two parts.
The first element is the so-called ‘basic’ state pension.
To determine your eligibility for the basic state pension, you simply add up your qualifying National Insurance (NI) years. These qualifying years can be accrued through employment with NI contributions, caring responsibilities, or receiving certain benefits.
As of the 2024/25 fiscal year, the maximum weekly amount you can receive from the basic state pension is £169.50. Each April, this amount is adjusted based on the highest of the following three factors:
- Inflation rate from the previous September, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index
- Growth in average earnings
- A minimum increase of 2.5%
This adjustment method is referred to as the ‘triple lock,’ designed to ensure that pensioners receive the most favorable increase possible.
The second element is known as the additional state pension.
This additional payment is known as SERPS (State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme), S2P, or the state second pension.
Similar to the basic state pension component, it relies on your National Insurance contributions.
The amount you receive is mainly influenced by your salary history throughout your working life. To a smaller degree, it can also be affected by whether you’ve claimed certain benefits, like child benefit or carer’s credit.
The extra state pension is paid automatically alongside your basic state pension and is adjusted annually to keep pace with inflation.
Q – Why did the state pension change?
A – The Government acknowledged that the old state pension system was confusing and unfairly disadvantaged several groups, especially women who had taken time off work for caregiving or raising children.
The issues stemmed from the outdated system, which comprised two components: a ‘basic’ state pension, determined by the number of national insurance years, and a ‘state second pension’ (S2P), also known as SERPS or the additional rate.
While the basic pension was straightforward, the second pension was much more complicated—especially for those who chose to ‘contract out’ of it, whether intentionally or not.
The new pension structure aims to simplify the process, although it remains quite complex. Additionally, it provides significant improvements for the self-employed, who were at a disadvantage under the old system since they couldn’t accumulate any second state pension benefits.
Q – If I’ve got more than 35 qualifying NI years, does this mean I’ll get more than the full flat-rate state pension?
A – No, having over 35 qualifying National Insurance years won’t increase your state pension amount. The only way to receive more is if your ‘starting amount’ under the new regulations exceeds the maximum state pension of £221.20 (for the year 2024/25).
Q – I’m self-employed; does it work differently for me?
A – Yes and no. In 2022, the Government revealed plans to adjust national insurance contributions to better align the self-employed with employees. According to these changes, self-employed individuals earning over £12,570 (as of 2023/24) will see their class 2 and class 4 national insurance contributions treated equivalently to those made by employees. These contributions will contribute to the new flat-rate state pension in the same manner as employee contributions. This adjustment also applies to contributions made prior to the introduction of the flat-rate system on 6 April 2016.
Q – Can I claim my state pension when I’m abroad?
A – Yes, you can qualify, provided you’ve accumulated at least 10 years of UK National Insurance contributions. If you’ve also contributed to a social security system in another country that has a bilateral agreement with the UK, or is part of the EU, those contributions can count towards the 10-year requirement.
For instance, if you have five years of contributions in the UK and another five years in Portugal, you would receive 5/35ths of the UK state pension. This is because the combined total of 10 years meets the qualifying condition, but only the five years of contributions made in the UK will affect the amount of pension you receive. If you’re unsure how many years you have, check your state pension forecast.
To claim, you need to be within four months and four days of your state pension age. You’ll also need to contact the International Pension Centre. If you live part of the year abroad you have to choose which country you want your pension to be paid in. You can’t be paid in one country for part of the year and another for the rest of the year.
You will receive your payments in the local currency, and the amount may fluctuate based on exchange rates. You have the option to be paid either every four weeks or every 13 weeks. If your state pension amounts to less than £5 per week, you will receive your payment annually in December.
For residents of the UK, the state pension typically increases each year. However, if you relocate abroad, you will only benefit from annual increases if you reside in:
• Gibraltar or Switzerland
• The European Economic Area (including the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway)
• A country that has a social security agreement with the UK
Should you move to any other country, your pension amount will be fixed at the rate it was when you left the UK.
If you have moved abroad since 1 January 2021 then some changes have been made in relation to Brexit – read the Gov.uk website for full details.
Q – I didn’t make any NI contributions before April 2016, what does that mean for me?
A – Your state pension will be determined solely by the new state pension regulations. This is particularly relevant if you were born after the year 2000 or if you moved to the UK after 2015.
Q – Can I inherit my spouse or civil partner’s pension when they die?
A – While your eligibility for the flat-rate state pension relies solely on your national insurance contributions, there are situations where you might be able to inherit a portion of your spouse’s or civil partner’s pension. The amount you receive can vary based on several factors, including:
- The number of years they’ve paid national insurance. Essentially, the longer they’ve worked, the more you’re likely to get, as there’s the potential they have accrued more.
- Whether your deceased spouse or civil partner had any additional state pension, protected payment, state pension top-up or ‘graduated retirement benefit’ (the earnings-related state pension people could build up between 1961 and 1975). If so, you could get more as there’s more to pass on.
Working out exactly how much you’re entitled to is complex. The Department for Work and Pensions’ online tool allows you to see what you may get if your spouse or civil partner dies, based on your own circumstances.
If you reached state pension age and got married before 6 April 2016 and are therefore receiving your state pension under the previous pension rules, it’s different. See above in the guide for more.
Q – My spouse receives a state pension under the old system – what happens to their pension when they die?
A – Should your spouse or civil partner pass away, the pension benefits you receive can be influenced by their National Insurance contributions if their record surpasses yours. For instance, if you had a career break, you might be able to use their NI contributions to cover that period.
Beyond their state pension, if your spouse or civil partner reached the state pension age before 6 April 2016, you may be eligible to inherit a portion of their state pension top-up and half of their ‘graduated retirement benefit’—which was an earnings-related state pension accrued from 1961 to 1975, if it applies. Additionally, you might inherit some of their deferred state pension payments if they delayed claiming their pension.
How to work out what you’d get
The Department for Work and Pensions provides an online tool which allows you to see what you may get if your spouse or civil partner dies.
However, be aware that you will not get anything if you remarry or form a new civil partnership before you reach state pension age. There are more details on how this works on the Gov.uk website.
Q – Could my pension be boosted if I apply for pension credit?
A – If you’re short on funds to purchase extra National Insurance years to receive the full state pension, you might be able to increase your payout by applying for pension credit.
Pension credit is a means-tested benefit designed for individuals with low incomes who do not meet the requirements for the full state pension, which is £221.20 per week for 2024/25.
Should you qualify for pension credit, you will also be eligible for additional benefits, such as housing benefit. For comprehensive details, consult our Pension Credit guide.
Q – What happens to my state pension if I’m transgender?
A – Your state pension might be affected if you’re transgender and you:
- Were born between 24 December 1919 and 3 April 1945
- Were claiming the state pension before 4 April 2005
- Can provide evidence that your gender reassignment surgery took place before 4 April 2005
You don’t need to do anything if you legally changed your gender and started claiming state pension on or after 4 April 2005 – you’ll already be claiming based on your legally recognised gender.
Q – Do I have to pay tax on my state pension?
A – The state pension is subject to taxation, but if you have no additional income, you won’t incur any tax liability. Tax obligations only arise if your earnings exceed £12,570 for the 2024/25 tax year.
However, if you choose to delay claiming your pension, any lump sum withdrawals are taxed in a different manner. Note that this option is available only to those who reached the state pension age before April 2016.
The figures above are only rough guides, as many other variables affect the amount you will get. You can try Gov.uk’s calculator for an indication. The best way to find out is to ring 0800 731 7898 (option 2) – or see other more accessible contact methods.
A pension is treated like any other source of income, which means it can influence your eligibility for pension credit, housing benefit, or council tax support. For more details, refer to our Benefits Check guide.
Q – Will my state pension payouts rise with inflation?
A – Your pension payment is adjusted each April.
This adjustment is governed by the ‘triple lock’ mechanism, which ensures that the state pension rises according to the highest of three factors: the inflation rate from the previous September (measured by the Consumer Prices Index), the rise in average earnings, or 2.5%.
The triple lock applies exclusively to your basic state pension. Any extra ‘protected payment’ you receive will grow annually in accordance with inflation.
Additionally, be aware that if you retire to certain countries beyond the UK, your pension might not experience an annual increase.