State Pension Calculator
Estimate your new State Pension at 2026/27 rates from your National Insurance qualifying years, then see what filling gaps with voluntary contributions could add. Free, anonymous and based on DWP and HMRC figures.
State Pension calculator
New State Pension, 2026/27 full rate of £241.30 a week.
An estimate, not an official decision. Get your State Pension forecast on GOV.UK.
How much State Pension will I get?
The new State Pension is paid to men born on or after 6 April 1951 and women born on or after 6 April 1953 once they reach State Pension age. The full rate for 2026/27 is £241.30 a week. How much of it you get depends on your National Insurance record, which is counted in qualifying years. This calculator turns your years into a weekly, 4-weekly and yearly figure, then shows what paying for missing years could add.
With no National Insurance record before 6 April 2016 you need 35 qualifying years for the full £241.30 a week and at least 10 years to get any new State Pension. Between those points each qualifying year is worth 1/35 of the full rate, about £6.89 a week.
What your qualifying years are worth in 2026/27
| Qualifying years | Weekly | Every 4 weeks | Per year (52 weeks) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 |
| 10 | £68.94 | £275.77 | £3,585.03 |
| 15 | £103.41 | £413.66 | £5,377.54 |
| 20 | £137.89 | £551.54 | £7,170.06 |
| 25 | £172.36 | £689.43 | £8,962.57 |
| 30 | £206.83 | £827.31 | £10,755.09 |
| 35 or more | £241.30 | £965.20 | £12,547.60 |
The table assumes every qualifying year counts as 1/35 of the full rate, which is how it works when your National Insurance record started on or after 6 April 2016.
What counts as a qualifying year
A qualifying year is a tax year in which you were working and paying National Insurance, getting National Insurance credits (for example while unemployed, ill, or caring as a parent or carer), or paying voluntary contributions. In 2026/27 an employee earning between £129 and £242 a week from one employer is treated as having paid National Insurance, and one earning over £242 a week pays it.
If you have National Insurance years before April 2016
DWP works out a starting amount for anyone with qualifying years at 5 April 2016. It is the higher of the amount under the old rules and the amount under the new rules, and both reflect any time you were contracted out of the Additional State Pension, so it can be lower or higher than the simple 1/35 estimate. If it is below the full rate, each qualifying year you add after 5 April 2016 increases it until you reach the full amount. If it is above, the difference is kept as a protected payment. Switch the calculator to "From my forecast" and enter your GOV.UK forecast for a closer figure.
Is it worth paying voluntary National Insurance?
Gaps in your record can often be filled with voluntary contributions. Class 3 costs £18.40 a week in 2026/27, which is £956.80 for a whole year. Self-employed people with profits under £7,105 can pay Class 2 at £3.65 a week instead. If a year adds 1/35 of the full rate, you get about £358.50 a year more State Pension at 2026/27 rates, so a Class 3 year pays for itself in under three years of retirement.
Check your forecast before you pay. Voluntary contributions do not always increase your State Pension, for example if you were contracted out, and years beyond the full rate add nothing. You can usually pay for the past 6 years, with a deadline of 5 April each year: gaps in the 2025/26 tax year can be filled until 5 April 2032. The calculator uses the 2026/27 rate for every year, but Class 3 for the previous 2 tax years is charged at the original rate for those years.
Worked example. Someone with 28 qualifying years and no record before 2016 expects to add 4 more before State Pension age. That makes 32 years, so 32/35 of £241.30 = £220.62 a week. Filling 3 gap years with Class 3 costs 3 × £956.80 = £2,870.40 and lifts the pension to the full £241.30, which is £20.68 a week or £1,075.51 a year more. The contributions are paid back after about 2.7 years of pension.
How the State Pension is paid
The new State Pension is usually paid every 4 weeks, on a weekday set by the last two digits of your National Insurance number. It goes up each year by whichever is highest of average earnings growth, CPI inflation or 2.5%. To see when you can claim, use our State Pension age calculator, and if your retirement income will be low, try the Pension Credit calculator.
For your official figures, check your State Pension forecast and your National Insurance record on GOV.UK.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the full new State Pension in 2026/27?
The full rate of the new State Pension is £241.30 a week for the 2026 to 2027 tax year. Over 52 weeks that is £12,547.60.
How many years of National Insurance do I need for a full State Pension?
If your National Insurance record started after April 2016 you need 35 qualifying years for the full rate, and at least 10 qualifying years to get any new State Pension. If you were contracted out before 2016 you will usually need more than 35.
How much is each qualifying year worth?
Each qualifying year is worth 1/35 of the full rate, about £6.89 a week or £358.50 a year at 2026/27 rates, until you reach the full amount.
Can I pay to fill gaps in my National Insurance record?
Usually yes, for the past 6 years, with a deadline of 5 April each year. Class 3 voluntary contributions cost £18.40 a week in 2026/27. Check your forecast first, because extra years do not always increase your State Pension.
Is this calculator an official State Pension forecast?
No. It is an estimate based on 2026/27 rates and the number of years you enter. Your official forecast, which includes your starting amount if you have years before April 2016, is on GOV.UK.