Bureau of Wealth

State Pension Calculator

By the Bureau of Wealth team Updated

This calculator is general information, not financial advice. Check your own figures with the provider or a qualified adviser before acting on them.

Enter the qualifying years on your National Insurance record and the years you expect to add to estimate your new State Pension a week, every 4 weeks and a year.

Using 2026/27 rates rates checked 14 September 2026

Your State Pension forecast on GOV.UK shows this.

Years working, getting NI credits or paying voluntary contributions.

Check the highlighted fields to see your results.

What this calculator assumes

  • It uses the full rate of new State Pension shown on GOV.UK for 2026/27, £241.30 a week, and does not add future yearly increases. Your estimate is in today's money.
  • It is for people whose National Insurance record started after April 2016, or who were never contracted out. If you were contracted out before 2016, or paid into the Additional State Pension, your amount can be different.
  • Each qualifying year is worth one thirty-fifth of the full rate. You need at least 10 qualifying years to get anything, and years beyond 35 do not add more.
  • It is for the new State Pension, which applies to men born on or after 6 April 1951 and women born on or after 6 April 1953. Older people get the basic State Pension instead.
  • The years you expect to add are your own estimate. It does not check whether you will reach them before your State Pension age.
  • Tax, deferring your claim, living abroad and pension inherited from a spouse or civil partner are not included.

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How the estimate is worked out

The new State Pension depends on your National Insurance record. A qualifying year is one in which you worked and paid National Insurance, got National Insurance credits, for example while unemployed, ill, a parent or a carer, or paid voluntary contributions.

The calculator adds the qualifying years you have now to the years you expect to add before State Pension age. With fewer than 10, the estimate is nothing. From 10 years upwards, it divides the full weekly rate by 35 and multiplies it by your years, up to a maximum of 35. It then shows the amount every 4 weeks, which is how the State Pension is usually paid, and over a year of 52 weeks.

A worked example

You have 20 qualifying years and expect to add 10 more. That gives 30 years, so your estimate is 30 thirty-fifths of £241.30, which is £206.83 a week, £827.32 every 4 weeks, or about £10,755 a year. Each further qualifying year up to 35 adds about £6.89 a week. With 35 years you would get the full £241.30 a week, about £12,548 a year.

If you have only 8 qualifying years and add none, the estimate is £0, because you are 2 years short of the minimum. Reaching 10 years would give £68.94 a week.

Check your State Pension forecast first

The most reliable figure is your own State Pension forecast on GOV.UK, which you can get after signing in or through the HMRC app. It shows how much you could get, when you can get it, your National Insurance record and whether you can increase it, for example by paying to fill gaps. Enter the qualifying years from your record here to test different futures.

The forecast matters most if your record started before April 2016. While you were contracted out, you or your employer paid more into a workplace or private pension and less into the State Pension, so you will usually need more than 35 qualifying years for the full rate. If you paid into the Additional State Pension and would have got more under the old rules, you may get a protected payment on top of the full rate.

When you can claim it

Under the timetable set in law, State Pension age is rising from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028. People born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961 reach it at 66 plus a number of months that depends on their date of birth. The legislated timetable also has a rise to 68 between 2044 and 2046. State Pension age is reviewed regularly, so check your own date on GOV.UK rather than relying on a general rule.

How the amount changes over time

Each year the new State Pension rises by the highest of average earnings growth, price inflation measured by CPI, or 2.5%. Because this calculator uses today's rate, a £206.83 estimate means roughly what £206.83 buys now, not the number you will see on your first payment. The State Pension also counts towards your taxable income, so tax may be due if your total income is above your Personal Allowance.

The State Pension is rarely enough on its own. To see what a workplace or personal pension could add, try the pension calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How many qualifying years do I need?

You need at least 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to get any new State Pension. If your record started after April 2016, you need 35 qualifying years for the full rate. If you were contracted out before 2016, you will usually need more than 35.

What is the full new State Pension?

GOV.UK gives the full rate of the new State Pension as £241.30 a week. That is about £12,548 over 52 weeks, and it goes up each year.

Can I fill gaps in my National Insurance record?

You may be able to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions for years with gaps, or get credits for periods such as caring or claiming certain benefits. Your State Pension forecast shows whether paying to fill gaps would increase your pension, so check it before you pay.

Why is my forecast different from this estimate?

Your forecast uses your full National Insurance record, including any time contracted out and any Additional State Pension from before 2016. This calculator uses only a count of qualifying years and assumes you were never contracted out.

When will I reach State Pension age?

It depends on your date of birth. State Pension age is rising to 67 between 2026 and 2028, and it is reviewed regularly, so use the State Pension age checker on GOV.UK for your exact date.

Sources

Figures come from institutions millions of people rely on. How we keep calculators accurate.