Wills & Later Life

State Pension Age Calculator UK 2025 — When Can I Claim & How Much Will I Get?

The State Pension age is currently 66 for both men and women. It is rising to 67 between 2026–2028 and further increases to 68 are under review. Use this calculator to find your State Pension age, estimate your weekly pension, and see how NI gaps could affect your amount.

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👴 State Pension Age & Forecast Calculator — 2025/26

New State Pension 2025/26: £221.20/week (£11,502/year). Requires 35 qualifying NI years for full amount; 10 years minimum to receive any pension. Contracted-out deductions may apply. Always check your personal forecast at gov.uk/check-state-pension.

State Pension Rates 2025/26

Pension typeWeekly rateAnnual
Full new State Pension (post-2016)£221.20£11,502.40
Full basic State Pension (pre-2016)£169.50£8,814.00
Minimum to receive any pension10 qualifying NI years
Years needed for full new pension35 qualifying NI years

State Pension Age Timetable

Date of birthState Pension age
Before 6 Dec 1953 (women) / 6 Dec 1953 (men)60 (women) / 65 (men) — old rules
Up to 5 April 196066
6 April 1960 – 5 April 197766–67 (transitional — rising)
6 April 1977 – 5 April 197867
After 5 April 197867 (or 68 — under review)

Filling Gaps in Your NI Record

You can pay voluntary Class 3 National Insurance contributions to fill gaps in your NI record and increase your State Pension. The current rate is £17.45 per week (£907.40 per year) for 2025/26. Given the State Pension pays £221.20/week, filling one year of NI gaps typically costs around £907 but adds approximately £6.32/week (£328/year) to your pension — paying back in under 3 years. Gaps from 2006–2018 could be filled at a reduced rate until April 2025 — this deadline has now passed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I claim State Pension early?+
No. You cannot take the State Pension before your State Pension age. However, you can defer it — delaying your claim increases your weekly pension by 1% for every 9 weeks deferred (approximately 5.8% per year).
Does my spouse's NI record help me?+
Under the new State Pension (for those reaching State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016), your pension is based entirely on your own NI record — you cannot inherit or top up from a spouse's record. However, widows and widowers may be able to inherit some additional State Pension from a deceased spouse's pre-2016 record.
What counts as a qualifying NI year?+
A qualifying year is one where you paid or were credited with enough National Insurance contributions. Credits are given automatically for: receiving Child Benefit for children under 12, being on Carer's Allowance, being on certain disability benefits, and being unemployed and claiming JSA or ESA.
Is State Pension taxable?+
Yes. State Pension is taxable income, though it is paid gross (without deduction of tax). If it is your only income, the personal allowance (£12,570) is likely to cover it. If you have other pension income, tax may be deducted through your other pension's PAYE code or via Self Assessment.