State Pension 2026/27: How Much Is £241.30 a Week?

The 60-Second Answer

For 2026/27, the full new State Pension is £241.30 a week, or £12,547.60 a year over 52 weeks — a 4.8% rise from £230.25 a week in 2025/26.

Not everyone gets £241.30. You usually need 35 qualifying years of National Insurance (NI) contributions or credits for the full new State Pension, and at least 10 qualifying years to get anything at all. Each qualifying year is worth about £6.89 a week. Your own amount depends on your NI record — check your official State Pension forecast before deciding about filling gaps or deferring.

Last updated: 29 October 2026. All figures are for 2026/27 unless stated otherwise, sourced from GOV.UK and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

How Much Is the State Pension in 2026/27?

There are two State Pensions in payment. The new State Pension applies if you reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016; the basic State Pension applies if you reached it before that date. The headline £241.30 figure is the new State Pension. The basic rate is lower, and was often topped up by additional State Pension (SERPS or the State Second Pension).

Pension	Full rate 2026/27	Full rate 2025/26	Who gets it
New State Pension	£241.30 a week (£12,547.60 a year)	£230.25 a week	Reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016
Basic State Pension	£184.90 a week (£9,614.80 a year)	£176.45 a week	Reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016

Both rates rose by 4.8% in April 2026. The basic State Pension usually needed 30 qualifying years for the full rate, not 35. "Full rate" is a maximum: many people get less, and some with pre-2016 records get more because of a protected payment carried over from the old rules. It is paid every four weeks in arrears, and is not paid automatically — you must claim it. See also our guide to whether you can have a Cash ISA and a Lifetime ISA at the same time.

How Many Qualifying Years Do You Need for the Full £241.30?

For the new State Pension, divide your qualifying years by 35 and multiply by £241.30. A qualifying year is a tax year in which you paid enough NI, were treated as having paid it, or received NI credits — built by working, by credits for caring or certain benefits, and by voluntary contributions. In 2026/27, an employed person generally needs earnings of at least £6,708 in the year from one job to build a qualifying year.

Qualifying years	Weekly pension (2026/27)	Annual pension
10 (minimum)	£68.94	About £3,585
20	£137.89	About £7,170
25	£172.36	About £8,963
30	£206.83	About £10,755
35 or more	£241.30	£12,547.60

Worked example: Sarah has 28 qualifying years and no pre-2016 complications. Her pension is 28 ÷ 35 × £241.30 = £193.04 a week. Each extra qualifying year would add £6.89 a week, about £358.50 a year, for life. With fewer than 10 qualifying years you usually get no new State Pension at all. Check your forecast — pre-2016 contracting-out can change the simple division.

What Is the Triple Lock, and Why Did the Pension Rise 4.8%?

The triple lock is the government's commitment to raise the State Pension each April by the highest of three measures: growth in average earnings, Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation, or 2.5%. For April 2026, earnings growth of 4.8% beat both inflation and the 2.5% floor, so the full new State Pension rose from £230.25 to £241.30.

Recent rises show the winning measure at work: CPI of 10.1% took the full rate from £185.15 to £203.85 in April 2023; earnings growth took it to £221.20 in 2024 (8.5%) and £230.25 in 2025 (4.1%). The triple lock does not guarantee any future rate — next April's rise depends on the same three measures measured again.

What Is the State Pension Age in 2026/27?

Date of birth	State Pension age
Before 6 April 1960	66
6 April 1960 to 5 March 1961	66 plus 1 to 11 months, depending on your birth month
On or after 6 March 1961	67

The rise to 67 completes by March 2028. A further rise to 68 is already in law for 2044 to 2046, affecting people born on or after 6 April 1977, and it is under review. If your pension age is 66 and a few months, plan for those extra months: keep working, use a workplace or personal pension (usually accessible from age 55, rising to 57 from April 2028), or draw on savings. For younger readers, see our explainer on the Junior ISA — long-term saving for children rather than retirement.

Is the State Pension Taxed, and Should You Defer It?

The State Pension counts as taxable income, but no tax is taken from the payment itself. HMRC collects any tax due through your tax code on other income, or through self-assessment. In 2026/27 the standard Personal Allowance is £12,570, and a full 52 weeks of the new State Pension (£12,547.60) sits just £22.40 below it. So if the State Pension is your only income, you should pay no income tax on it this year. Add almost any other taxable income and the slice above £12,570 is taxed, usually at 20%.

Deferring — delaying your claim after State Pension age — increases your weekly pension by 1% for every nine weeks deferred, roughly 5.8% a year. Deferring the full £241.30 for one year would raise it by about £14.00 a week, to roughly £255.30. But you give up a year of payments (£12,547.60) to gain about £728 a year extra, so it would take roughly 17 years to break even. If your income is low, check Pension Credit on GOV.UK: it tops up weekly income and can unlock help with rent and Council Tax, and it is widely under-claimed.

Your Checklist: Forecast, Gaps, and Claiming

1. Get your forecast. Use GOV.UK's "Check your State Pension" service (you will need a Government Gateway account) or call the Future Pension Centre. It shows your forecast amount, your State Pension age, and any gaps. 2. Check each gap before paying to fill it. Voluntary Class 3 NI contributions cost £18.40 a week in 2026/27, or £956.80 for a full year. One extra qualifying year is worth about £358.50 a year of pension, so a year you buy can pay for itself in under three years — but only if it actually increases your pension. You can usually fill gaps for the previous six tax years. 3. Claim credits you are owed, e.g. Child Benefit credits for a child under 12. 4. Decide claim or defer before your pension age, weighing the break-even maths above and any effect on benefits. 5. Claim in good time. The DWP sends an invitation letter before your State Pension age, but if it does not arrive, claim online, by phone or by post anyway — the pension is not automatic.

£12,547.60 a year is a foundation, not a retirement income. Knowing your forecast, your pension age, and whether a gap is worth filling turns a headline number into a plan. Check the current GOV.UK rate before you act — our post on our updated guide to the Cash ISA limit is a reminder to act while current rules still apply.

FAQ: State Pension 2026/27

How much is the State Pension in 2026/27?
The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week (£12,547.60 a year), up 4.8% from £230.25. The full basic State Pension is £184.90 a week (£9,614.80 a year).

How many National Insurance years do I need for the full State Pension?
Usually 35 qualifying years for the full new State Pension, and at least 10 to get anything. Each year is worth about £6.89 a week (£358.50 a year).

What is my State Pension age in 2026?
It depends on your date of birth. It is 66 if you were born before 6 April 1960, 66 plus 1 to 11 months if born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961, and 67 if born on or after 6 March 1961. Check your exact date on GOV.UK.

Can I fill gaps in my National Insurance record?
Usually yes, for the previous six tax years, with voluntary Class 3 contributions at £18.40 a week (£956.80 a year) in 2026/27. Check your forecast first: paying does not always increase your pension.

Do I pay tax on the State Pension?
The State Pension counts as taxable income, but no tax is deducted from it. A full 52 weeks (£12,547.60) is just below the £12,570 Personal Allowance in 2026/27, so with no other income you should pay no tax.

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not financial advice. State Pension and tax rules depend on your circumstances and change over time. Check your official State Pension forecast on GOV.UK before deciding about voluntary contributions or deferral.