State Pension
A regular payment from the UK government in retirement, based on your National Insurance record.
The State Pension is a regular income paid by the UK government to people who have reached State Pension age and have a sufficient National Insurance (NI) record. The current State Pension age is 66, and it is scheduled to rise to 67 between 2026 and 2028. To qualify for the full new State Pension, you need at least 35 qualifying years of NI contributions or credits. You need a minimum of 10 qualifying years to receive any State Pension at all.
For the 2025/26 tax year, the full new State Pension is £230.25 per week, which works out to around £11,973 per year. This amount increases each year under the triple lock guarantee. If you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, you may be on the old basic State Pension system, which has different rates and rules including the option to earn additional State Pension (S2P or SERPS).
The State Pension is designed to provide a foundation for your retirement income, but for most people it will not be enough to maintain their standard of living on its own. You can check your State Pension forecast and NI record on the GOV.UK website. If you have gaps in your record, you may be able to make voluntary NI contributions to boost your entitlement, which can be very good value depending on your circumstances.