State Pension Forecast

Use this tool to check

• How much State Pension you're on track to get
• How many more qualifying years you need for the full amount
• Whether you have enough years to get any State Pension at all

Your State Pension forecast tells you how much you could get, when you can claim it, and whether you're on track for the full amount. It only takes a few minutes to check, and it's the best starting point for any retirement plan.

Once you know your forecast, use our State Pension Age Calculator to see exactly when it starts, and our Pension Projection Calculator to see how your private pensions fill the rest.

How much State Pension will I get?

If you reach State Pension age after 6 April 2016, you'll get the new State Pension. The full amount is £241.30 a week, or £12,547.60 a year, in 2026/27. Each qualifying year on your National Insurance record is worth about £6.89 a week, or around £358 a year, up to 35 years.

This is how our estimate works. If you paid National Insurance before April 2016, your amount is worked out a little differently (see below), so your official forecast may be higher or lower.

If you paid National Insurance before April 2016

When the new State Pension started in 2016, everyone's existing record was turned into a "starting amount". This was the higher of what you'd have got under the old rules and what you'd have got if the new rules had applied for your whole working life. If you were "contracted out", usually through a final salary workplace pension, your starting amount may be lower, because you paid less National Insurance at the time. Your official forecast on GOV.UK takes all of this into account, which is why it's the figure to rely on.

Filling gaps in your National Insurance record

You may be able to fill gaps by paying voluntary National Insurance contributions. You can usually pay for gaps from the past 6 tax years. A full year usually costs under £1,000 and can add around £358 a year to your State Pension for the rest of your life, so it can pay for itself within about three years of claiming.

Check your forecast before you pay. It shows whether paying for a particular year would actually increase your State Pension. Some years won't, for example if you're already on track for the full amount. Our guide to how many NI years you need for a full State Pension explains when buying a year is worth it.

You might already be getting free credits

National Insurance credits fill years when you're not working. You may get them if you're:

• claiming Child Benefit for a child under 12
• caring for someone for at least 20 hours a week
• getting Universal Credit, Jobseeker's Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance
• a grandparent or other family member looking after a child under 12 while their parent works (you need to apply for these)

How the State Pension goes up each year

The State Pension rises every April under the "triple lock". It goes up by whichever is highest: average earnings growth, price inflation (CPI) or 2.5%. That's why the figures on this page change each tax year. We update them every April.

Is the State Pension taxed?

Yes. The State Pension counts as taxable income, but it's paid without tax taken off. The full new State Pension (£12,547.60 a year) is just under the £12,570 Personal Allowance, so if it's your only income you won't pay tax on it. If you have other income, such as a workplace pension, the tax is usually collected through that pension's tax code. See how much income tax you pay in retirement.

Frequently asked questions