UK State Pension entitlement rules
The full New State Pension for the 2024/25 tax year is £221.20 per week (£11,502.40 per year). You need 35 qualifying National Insurance years to receive the full amount.
You need at least 10 qualifying years to receive any New State Pension (which gives 10/35ths, or £63.20 per week). Deferring your claim increases your payments by 1% for every 9 weeks (5.8% per year).
Worked example: UK State Pension calculation
An individual with 30 qualifying NI years receives 30/35ths of the full rate, equal to £189.60 per week (£9,859 per year). Deferring for 2 years increases the weekly payment by 11.6% to £211.59 per week.
Inputs for the uk state pension calculator
Qualifying Years
Enter your total qualifying NI years from your National Insurance record.
Deferral Years
Enter any years you plan to delay claiming past your State Pension age.
CALCULATOR QUESTIONS
UK state pension calculator questions
Can I buy back missing National Insurance years?
Yes, you can make voluntary Class 3 NI contributions (costing approx £907.40 per year) to buy back missing years, adding approx £329 per year in pension for life.
Is the UK State Pension protected by the Triple Lock?
Yes, the Triple Lock guarantees the State Pension increases every April by whichever is highest: inflation (CPI), average wage growth, or 2.5%.