State Pension Forecast Calculator United Kingdom

How much State Pension you get depends on your National Insurance record. This calculator estimates what you are on track to receive under the new State Pension for 2026/27, from the qualifying years you have so far plus the years you expect to add before State Pension age.

How the new State Pension is earned

The new State Pension, for people reaching pension age from April 2016, is built from qualifying years: tax years in which you paid or were credited with enough National Insurance. You need 35 qualifying years for the full amount and at least 10 to get anything. Between 10 and 35 the pension is pro-rated, each year worth about 1/35th of the full amount, so 20 years gives about 20/35ths, a little over half. The calculator applies this rule to your projected total.

Years you already have and years to come

Two numbers drive the forecast. The first is the qualifying years already on your record, from employment, self-employment or NI credits received while claiming certain benefits, raising children or caring. You can check your record on the gov.uk State Pension forecast service. The second is the years you expect to add before you retire: each further year of work or credits, up to the 35-year cap, adds another slice. Enter both to see where you will land and how many years short of the full amount you are.

Filling gaps in your record

If your forecast falls short, gaps can often be filled with voluntary Class 3 contributions. Each extra year adds about 1/35th of the full pension for life, so it is often very good value for someone approaching retirement. There is normally a time limit on how far back you can go, so check early. The calculator shows the gap in years and pounds; a voluntary contributions tool can then weigh the cost against the lifetime gain.

A worked example

Suppose you have 20 qualifying years and expect to work another 15 before retiring. That makes 35 years, so your forecast is the full new State Pension of about £12,548 a year, or £241.30 a week. If you stopped contributing now with 20 years, the forecast would be 20/35ths, about £7,170 a year or £137.89 a week, 15 years short of the full amount. With fewer than 10 qualifying years in total, the forecast is zero, so early working years count even when retirement seems far off.

How to use the calculator

Enter your qualifying years so far and the further years you expect to contribute before State Pension age. The result shows your projected qualifying years, your forecast State Pension a year, a month and a week, how many years short of the full amount you are, and the full amount for comparison. Use it to check whether you are on track, to see what working or contributing longer is worth, or to decide whether to look into topping up.

Assumptions and limitations

This is a planning estimate, not an official forecast, so check your personal figure on the gov.uk State Pension forecast service. It applies the 35-year full and 10-year minimum rule and pro-rates the current full amount. It does not model the starting amount rules for people with pre-2016 records (which can include additional State Pension or a contracted-out deduction), the effect of specific gap years, deferral increases, or future changes to the amount or to State Pension age. It assumes each future year you enter is a full qualifying year. The full amount and year thresholds are stored as parameters sourced from gov.uk and reviewed each year.

About This State Pension Forecast Calculator

Use this State Pension forecast calculator to get an instant, accurate estimate. The figures follow official GOV.UK guidance and every rate and threshold is kept up to date for 2026. Adjust the inputs above to match your situation, or browse all our calculators to plan your next step.