UK State Pension 2025/26: How Much, When, How to Claim
The State Pension is a regular payment from the government that you receive once you reach State Pension age. It is based on your National Insurance record and is currently one of the most valuable benefits available to UK residents.
Current Rates (2025/26)
| Pension type | Weekly | Monthly (approx.) | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| New State Pension (full) | £221.20 | £960 | £11,502.40 |
| Basic State Pension (full) | £169.50 | £735 | £8,814 |
The new State Pension applies if you reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016. If you reached it before that date, you are on the basic State Pension (plus any additional State Pension you built up).
Qualifying Years
You need 35 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions to get the full new State Pension. You need at least 10 qualifying years to get anything at all.
A qualifying year is one where you either paid or were credited with National Insurance. Credits are given for periods of unemployment, illness, or caring responsibilities.
Worked Example — Partial Pension
You have 28 qualifying years out of the 35 needed.
Your weekly pension: 28/35 x £221.20 = £176.96/week
Annual: £9,201.92
Gap: £2,300.48/year — you could buy 7 years of voluntary NI contributions to close this gap.
How to Check Your Record
- Go to gov.uk/check-state-pension
- Sign in with your Government Gateway or verify with GOV.UK One Login
- View your forecast, qualifying years and any gaps
- Check if you can fill gaps by paying voluntary Class 3 NI contributions (currently £17.45/week per missing year)
Deferring Your State Pension
You do not have to claim your State Pension when you reach State Pension age. For every 9 weeks you defer, your pension increases by 1%. That works out to roughly 5.8% per year.
| Deferral period | Increase | New weekly amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 5.8% | £234.03 |
| 2 years | 11.6% | £246.86 |
| 3 years | 17.4% | £259.69 |
| 5 years | 29% | £285.35 |
Deferral makes sense if you are still working, have other income, and expect to live well past the break-even point (roughly 17 years of claiming to recoup what you missed).
Married Couples & Civil Partners
Under the new State Pension, your pension is based entirely on your own NI record. You cannot inherit or derive pension from a spouse's record (unlike the old system). However, if your spouse reached pension age before April 2016 and was on the old system, different rules may apply — check with the Pension Service.
New vs Old State Pension
| Feature | New State Pension | Old (Basic + Additional) |
|---|---|---|
| Started from | 6 April 2016 | Before 6 April 2016 |
| Full rate | £221.20/week | £169.50/week (basic only) |
| Qualifying years (full) | 35 years | 30 years (basic) |
| Additional pension | Rolled into starting amount | S2P / SERPS on top |
Pension Credit
If your total income is below £218.15/week (single) or £332.95/week (couple), you may qualify for Pension Credit. It tops up your income to the minimum level and also unlocks other benefits like free TV licence (over 75), Council Tax Reduction and help with NHS costs.
Around 880,000 eligible people do not claim Pension Credit — do not be one of them. Apply online at gov.uk/pension-credit or call 0800 99 1234.
Key Takeaways
- Full new State Pension is £221.20/week (£11,502.40/year) in 2025/26.
- You need 35 qualifying years for the full amount, 10 for any amount.
- Check your record on gov.uk — filling gaps with voluntary NI can be excellent value.
- Deferral adds roughly 5.8% per year but takes ~17 years to break even.
- Claim Pension Credit if eligible — it unlocks a cascade of extra benefits.