It may well be decades away, but do you know how much money you will get when you stop working? The current state pension is soon likely to top £13,000 a year. Yet one in eight people surveyed by the UK tax authority have never checked how much money they are forecast to receive. Here’s how to find out, and what you can do now to boost it.
If you’re working, it is highly likely you’re contributing to the state pension – paid by the government when you hit pension age in your late 60s. the flat-rate state pension – for those who reached state pension age after April 2016 – is £241.30 a week (£12,547.60 a year) the old basic state pension – for those who reached state pension age before April 2016 – is £184.90 a week (£9,614.80 a year) Many people on the old basic state pension may receive a top-up called the additional state pension. Most pensioners have other income, primarily from pension savings built up over their career. The state pension goes up each year in line with the highest of either inflation, wage increases, or 2.5%. So next April, the flat-rate state pension is expected to go above £13,000.
Workers pay National Insurance (NI) contributions. In general, you need 35 years of qualifying contributions to get a full state pension. You may have gaps in your NI record if, for example, you have lived abroad. If you’ve taken time away from work to care for children or family members, then you get NI credits if you receive child benefit or carer’s allowance.
It’s possible to boost your contribution history with voluntary payments. Since April 2025, you have only been able to make payments for the previous six years. That’s one reason why it is important to check your state pension forecast well before you retire, experts say. You can see what you are forecast to receive: By downloading the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) app, external Using the official online state pension forecast webpage, external To get a state pension, you will need to prove your identity using official photo ID.
Importantly, never click on a link sent in an unsolicited email or text message, even if it looks official, as it could be a scam. For more general information about tax and pensions, HMRC has launched a Tax Confident website, external. And the government-funded, independent Money Helper website has a free retirement guidance tool, external to walk you through the options. The most common reason for not checking a state pension forecast was feeling that retirement was still too far away to think about, a recent survey of 5,000 consumers by HMRC found.
Losing track of pension pots from previous jobs, and concerns about how career breaks might affect their entitlement, were also frequent responses. People aged 45-54 were the most likely to have never checked. “Whether retirement is decades away or just around the corner, I’d encourage everyone to check their forecast and see if there’s anything they can do now to boost their entitlement later,” says Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s chief customer officer. Why Gen Z are planning for life without a state pension The Today Debate: Can we afford the pensions triple lock?
