The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week in 2026/27, which is £965.20 every four weeks or £12,548 a year, after a 4.8% rise in April under the triple lock. You need 35 qualifying years of National Insurance for the full amount and at least 10 to get anything, and each year is worth £6.89 a week. The State Pension age is 66 and began rising to 67 in April 2026. The figures below show what a given record pays, what a missing year costs to fill, and when you can claim.
The rates for 2026/27
| Pension | Weekly | Four-weekly | Yearly | 2025/26 weekly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full new State Pension (reached State Pension age from 6 April 2016) | £241.30 | £965.20 | £12,548 | £230.25 |
| Full basic State Pension (reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016) | £184.90 | £739.60 | £9,615 | £176.45 |
gov.uk states: “The full rate of new State Pension is £241.30 a week.” The new State Pension applies to “a man born on or after 6 April 1951” and “a woman born on or after 6 April 1953”; anyone older is on the basic State Pension, often with additional State Pension on top. Both rose by 4.8% in April 2026, the earnings growth figure under the triple lock, which raises the pension each year by the highest of earnings growth, inflation or 2.5%.
How qualifying years set the amount
gov.uk is direct on the two thresholds: “you will need 35 qualifying years to get the full rate of new State Pension” and “you’ll need 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to get any new State Pension”. A qualifying year is one in which you were “working and made National Insurance contributions”, “getting National Insurance credits” for unemployment, illness or caring, or “paying voluntary National Insurance contributions”.
Between 10 and 35 years the pension is proportionate, at £241.30 divided by 35 for each year.
| Qualifying years | Weekly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | £68.94 | £3,585 |
| 20 | £137.89 | £7,170 |
| 25 | £172.36 | £8,963 |
| 30 | £206.83 | £10,755 |
| 35 or more | £241.30 | £12,548 |
The table is the simple case for someone whose record began after April 2016. People with earlier records can have a starting amount above or below the straight-line figure, and gov.uk notes that “if you were contracted out, you will usually need more than 35 qualifying years to get the full rate”. Your own forecast on gov.uk is the authoritative figure; the State Pension forecast calculator shows how extra years move it.
What a missing year costs to fill
Voluntary Class 3 National Insurance costs £18.40 a week in 2026/27, so a full missing year costs £956.80. Each year bought adds £6.89 a week, £358.50 a year, to the pension for life. The outlay is recovered in under three years of payments before tax, or about three and a half years after basic rate tax. For someone who will not otherwise reach 35 years, few purchases match it, which is why the rule of thumb is to check the forecast first and fill gaps that will not be filled by future work or credits. Self-employed people can usually fill a year with Class 2 contributions at £3.65 a week, £189.80 a year, if they were entitled to pay them. The State Pension top-up calculator compares the cost with the gain for any number of years.
Gaps can normally be filled for the previous six tax years. Years spent caring for a child under 12 while claiming Child Benefit, or caring for someone for 20 hours a week or more, attract credits that fill the year without payment, and they are worth claiming retrospectively where missed.
When you can claim
The State Pension age is 66 for people born on or before 5 April 1960. For those born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961 it rises month by month between 6 April 2026 and April 2028, and it is a flat 67 for anyone born on or after 6 March 1961. A further rise to 68 is set in law for 2044 to 2046, affecting people born on or after 6 April 1977, and the timetable is under review. The State Pension age calculator gives the exact date for any date of birth.
The pension is not paid automatically: a claim is invited about four months before State Pension age. Deferring it increases the amount for each period deferred, and gov.uk explains the options as “a one-off payment” or “increased regular payments (known as ‘extra State Pension’)” depending on when State Pension age was reached; for those reaching it from April 2016, gov.uk states that “for every 9 weeks you defer, you’ll get 1% added to your regular weekly pension payment for life”, which “works out as just under 5.8% for every 52 weeks”, and you “must defer claiming your State Pension for at least 9 weeks” to get the increase.
Tax on the State Pension
The State Pension is taxable income but paid without deduction, and no National Insurance is due on it or on any earnings after State Pension age. At £12,548 a year the full new State Pension sits just below the £12,570 personal allowance, so on its own it attracts no tax; any private pension or earnings on top is taxed from the first pound, usually through the tax code on that other income. The take-home pay calculator shows the combined position for someone drawing both.
Planning around it
The full State Pension covers most of the PLSA’s minimum retirement standard of £13,900 a year for a single person and less than 40% of the moderate standard of £32,700. Our guide to how much to pay into a pension works from that gap, and the retirement income target calculator nets the State Pension off any income target to show the private pot needed.
Common questions
How much is the State Pension in 2026/27? £241.30 a week for the full new State Pension, £965.20 every four weeks or £12,548 a year. The full basic State Pension is £184.90 a week.
How many years of National Insurance do I need? 35 qualifying years for the full new State Pension and at least 10 for any payment. Years can come from work, credits or voluntary contributions.
How much does one year of voluntary National Insurance cost and add? £956.80 for a Class 3 year in 2026/27, adding £6.89 a week or £358.50 a year for life. The cost is recovered in about three years of payments.
When does the State Pension age go up to 67? Between 6 April 2026 and April 2028, for people born from 6 April 1960 to 5 March 1961. Anyone born on or after 6 March 1961 has a State Pension age of 67.
Is the State Pension taxed? It counts as taxable income, but the full new State Pension is just under the personal allowance, so tax only arises when other income is added.
Did the State Pension rise in April 2026? Yes, by 4.8%, from £230.25 to £241.30 a week for the full new State Pension and from £176.45 to £184.90 for the basic State Pension.
Information, not financial advice. Rates and rules are quoted from gov.uk: the new State Pension, gov.uk: voluntary National Insurance rates and the DWP’s 2026/27 rates; forecasts here are the straight-line case and your own gov.uk forecast may differ. Check it before acting on them.