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 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 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.