The basic State Pension
How much you get
How much basic State Pension you get depends on your National Insurance record.
The full basic State Pension is £169.50 per week.
You may have to pay tax on your State Pension.
If you’re a man born on or after 6 April 1951 or a woman born on or after 6 April 1953, you’ll get the new State Pension instead.
Qualifying for the full amount
To get the full basic State Pension you need a certain number of qualifying years of National Insurance.
If you’re a man you usually need:
- 30 qualifying years if you were born between 1945 and 1951
- 44 qualifying years if you were born before 1945
If you’re a woman you usually need:
- 30 qualifying years if you were born between 1950 and 1953
- 39 qualifying years if were born before 1950
If you have fewer than the full number of qualifying years, your basic State Pension will be less than £169.50 per week.
Check your National Insurance record to find out how many qualifying years you have.
What counts as a National Insurance qualifying year
A qualifying year counts if, in that year, one or more of the following applies:
- you were working and paying National Insurance
- you got National Insurance Credits, for example you were unemployed, sick, or a parent or carer
- you paid voluntary National Insurance contributions
When you can get more than the full basic State Pension
You might get more if:
- you’re eligible for Additional State Pension
- you delayed (deferred) taking your State Pension
You can defer even if you’ve started getting the basic State Pension. The basic State Pension increases by 1% for every 5 weeks you defer.
Annual increases
The basic State Pension increases every year by whichever is the highest of the following:
-
earnings - the average percentage growth in wages (in Great Britain)
-
prices - the percentage growth in prices in the UK as measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI)
-
2.5%
Other benefits you might be eligible for
If you’re on a low income, you may be eligible to apply for Pension Credit, even if you’ve saved money for retirement.
If you have a disability and someone helps look after you, you may be eligible for Attendance Allowance.
You may be eligible for other benefits and financial support.
Adult Dependency Increase payments have stopped.