Basic State Pension: What you need to know

by Michael Cheary

When thinking about your future, it’s vital to know what you’re entitled to.

With a large variety of pension schemes available, both through the government and through your place of work, calculating your retirement fund can be confusing. The good news? Understanding your basic State Pension doesn’t have to be complicated. 

Whether you’re just starting to think about life after work or you’re close to claiming your pension, here’s everything you need to know about the basic State Pension, from how much you’ll get to when you can claim it:

What is the basic State Pension?

The basic State Pension is a regular payment from the government that you receive once you reach State Pension age (SPA). It’s paid automatically into an account of your choice every four weeks.

To qualify, you’ll need to have paid or been credited with a certain amount of National Insurance contributions during your working life.

Retirement planning: What you need to know

Who gets the basic State Pension?

The basic State Pension applies to:

• Men born before 6 April 1951
• Women born before 6 April 1953

If you were born after these dates, you’ll get the new State Pension instead, which has different rules and rates.

Automatic pension enrolment: What you need to know

How much is the basic State Pension?

The full basic State Pension is currently £176.45 per week (2025/26 rate).

However, the amount you’ll actually receive depends on your National Insurance record. If you don’t have enough qualifying years, you’ll get a reduced amount.

Your State Pension increases every year by whichever is the highest of these three factors:

• The average growth in wages in the UK
• The growth in prices in the UK, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI)
• 2.5%

This is known as the ‘triple lock’ and it’s designed to protect pensioners from rising costs.

What are qualifying years?

Qualifying years are tax years (6 April to 5 April) in which you’ve either paid National Insurance contributions or received National Insurance credits.

You’ll have a qualifying year if:

• You were employed and paying National Insurance
• You were self-employed and paying National Insurance contributions
• Your spouse or civil partner’s National Insurance contributions covered you
• You paid voluntary National Insurance contributions

You might also have been receiving National Insurance credits if you weren’t working. This happens when you:

• Provide care for a child under 12
• Provide care for a sick or disabled person
• Are a registered foster carer
• Receive Carer’s Allowance
• Are receiving certain benefits (such as Jobseeker’s Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance)

How many qualifying years do you need?

The number of qualifying years you need depends on your gender and when you were born.

For women

• Born before 6 April 1950: You need 39 qualifying years for the full amount (or at least 10 qualifying years to get anything)
• Born between 6 April 1950 and 5 April 1953: You need 30 qualifying years for the full amount (or at least 1 qualifying year to get anything)

For men

• Born before 6 April 1945: You need 44 qualifying years for the full amount (or at least 11 qualifying years to get anything)
• Born between 6 April 1945 and 5 April 1951: You need 30 qualifying years for the full amount (or at least 1 qualifying year to get anything)

If you have fewer qualifying years than required, you’ll still receive a State Pension – it’ll just be proportionally less than the full amount.

What is State Pension age?

State Pension age is the earliest age you can start receiving your State Pension. It varies depending on your date of birth.

Currently:

• For men born before 6 December 1953, State Pension age is 65
• For women born before 6 April 1950, State Pension age is 60
• For people born between these dates, State Pension age gradually increases from 60 to 66

Under current law:

• State Pension age will increase to 67 between 2026 and 2028
• State Pension age will increase to 68 between 2044 and 2046

State Pension age is regularly reviewed, so these dates could change. You can check your State Pension age using the government’s calculator.

How do you claim your State Pension?

You should receive a letter about four months before you reach State Pension age, telling you what to do next. If you don’t receive anything, you can call the State Pension claim line on 0800 731 7898.

Claiming is straightforward and can be done:

• Online
• Over the phone
• Through your local pension centre

You can still claim if you’re living abroad, though services will differ from country to country. For more information, visit gov.uk/state-pension/how-to-claim.

Can you defer your State Pension?

Yes. Once you reach State Pension age, you can choose to defer (put off) claiming your pension. This can increase the amount you receive later.

For the basic State Pension, your pension increases by 1% for every 5 weeks you defer. This works out at 10.4% for every full year.

You can defer even if you’ve already started claiming your State Pension, though you can only do this once. Your pension won’t increase if you or your partner receives certain benefits, such as Pension Credit.

Before you decide to defer, it’s worth speaking to your local pension centre to understand the benefits and drawbacks for your situation. For more information, visit gov.uk/deferring-state-pension.

Can you fill gaps in your National Insurance record?

If you don’t have enough qualifying years, you may be able to make up gaps in your National Insurance record by paying voluntary contributions.

There are time limits for doing this, so it’s worth acting quickly if you think you might benefit. You can find out more about voluntary contributions on GOV.UK.

What is Additional State Pension?

On top of your basic State Pension, you might also receive an Additional State Pension (sometimes called State Second Pension or SERPS). This is based on your National Insurance contributions and earnings.

Unlike the basic State Pension, there’s no flat rate for Additional State Pension – the amount varies from person to person. You don’t need to do anything extra to claim it. You’ll be told how much you’re getting when you receive your first pension payment, and it’ll be added to your overall amount automatically.

For more information, visit gov.uk/additional-state-pension.

Can you work and claim State Pension at the same time?

Yes. You can continue working (paid or voluntary) while claiming your State Pension. Any money you earn won’t affect your State Pension, though it may affect your entitlement to other benefits like Pension Credit or Housing Benefit.

There’s no longer a ‘default retirement age’ that forces you to retire at 65, so you’re free to work for as long as you want.

Will you pay tax on your State Pension?

You may have to pay tax on your State Pension, depending on your total income. State Pension is treated as taxable income, but it’s paid to you before any tax is taken off.

If your total annual income (including your State Pension, any private pensions, and earnings) is above your Personal Allowance (currently £12,570), you’ll pay tax on the amount above this threshold.

For more information, visit gov.uk/tax-on-pension.

How to check your State Pension forecast

Not sure how much you’ll get? You can check your State Pension forecast online. This will tell you:

• How much State Pension you could get
• When you can claim it
• If you can increase it (and how)

Your forecast takes into account your National Insurance record up to now and gives you a clear picture of what to expect when you retire.

What if you’ve been underpaid?

If you reached State Pension age before April 2016, you might have been underpaid if you’re:

• A woman who’s married, divorced, or widowed
• Over 80 years old and getting less than £85 per week

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been working to correct these underpayments. If you’ve been underpaid, they should have contacted you with a payment. If they haven’t and you think you’re owed money, you should check by contacting the Pension Service.

Other financial support you might be eligible for

If you’re on a low income, you may be eligible for Pension Credit, even if you’ve saved money for retirement.

If you have a disability and someone helps look after you, you might be eligible for Attendance Allowance.

You can also check what other benefits and financial support you might be entitled to.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between the basic State Pension and the new State Pension?

The basic State Pension applies to people who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016. The new State Pension was introduced on 6 April 2016 and applies to anyone who reaches State Pension age on or after this date. The new State Pension has a higher full rate (£230.25 per week) and requires 35 qualifying years instead of 30.

What happens if you don’t have any qualifying years?

If you don’t have any qualifying years at all, you won’t be able to claim a State Pension based on your own National Insurance record. However, you may be able to claim based on your spouse or civil partner’s record, or you might be eligible for Pension Credit if you’re on a low income.

Can you get a State Pension if you’ve never worked?

Yes, in some cases. If you’ve received National Insurance credits (for example, because you were caring for children or claiming certain benefits), these count towards your State Pension even if you’ve never been in paid work.

What happens to your State Pension if you move abroad?

You can still claim your State Pension if you move abroad, though the way it’s paid may differ depending on which country you live in. In some countries, your State Pension will increase each year in line with UK increases. In others, it’ll be frozen at the rate it was when you left the UK or first claimed it. For more information, visit gov.uk/state-pension-if-you-retire-abroad.

Can your State Pension be reduced?

Yes. If you were ‘contracted out’ of the Additional State Pension scheme at any point (usually through a workplace pension), this may reduce your State Pension entitlement. You can check if you were contracted out by looking at your State Pension forecast.

What happens to your State Pension when you die?

When you die, your State Pension stops. However, your spouse or civil partner may be able to inherit some of your State Pension entitlements, depending on your circumstances. For more information, visit gov.uk/state-pension/inheritance-spouse-civil-partner.

Do you automatically get State Pension?

No, you need to claim it. You should receive a letter inviting you to claim about four months before you reach State Pension age. If you don’t receive one, contact the State Pension claim line.

Is the State Pension enough to live on?

The full basic State Pension (£176.45 per week) may not be enough on its own, which is why many people also have workplace or private pensions. If you’re on a low income, you might also be eligible for Pension Credit and other benefits to top up your income.

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All information was correct at time of writing. Please visit https://www.gov.uk/workplace-pensions for the most up-to-date information.