Pensions & Retirement

Check Your State Pension Forecast UK 2026 — How Much Will You Get?

How to check your state pension forecast online. Understand your National Insurance record, find gaps, and calculate how much state pension you'll receive at retirement.

By PocketWise · · 5 min read

Pension information is based on current UK legislation. Pensions are regulated by the FCA and The Pensions Regulator. This is not financial advice — consider consulting an FCA-regulated financial adviser.

Your state pension forecast shows how much you’ll receive at retirement. Here’s how to check it and what to do if it’s less than expected.

Read more: See our State Pension guide for a complete overview of this topic.

How to Check Your Forecast

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1: Go to gov.uk/check-state-pension

Step 2: Sign in or create an account

Method Process
Government Gateway Use existing ID and password
GOV.UK One Login New verification system
No account Create one (takes 10 minutes)

Step 3: View your forecast

You’ll see:

  • Your predicted state pension amount
  • Your state pension age
  • Your National Insurance record

What the Forecast Shows

Information What It Tells You
Weekly forecast Amount you’ll receive per week
Annual equivalent Yearly pension amount
State pension age When you can claim
NI record Years that count
Gaps Years missing contributions

Understanding Your Forecast

A Sample Forecast

Element Example
Current forecast £198.50/week
Full state pension £232.15/week
Qualifying years so far 30 years
Years needed for full 35 years
Years until SPA 8 years

This means: If you continue working and paying NI, you should reach the full amount.

Forecast Scenarios

Your Record Forecast Outlook
35+ years Full £232.15/week Maximum achieved
30 years (5 to SPA) £198.50/week now Full if you continue
25 years (2 to SPA) £165.80/week now Won’t reach full
15 years (10 to SPA) £99.50/week now Could reach full
10 years (0 to SPA) £66.33/week Minimum — no increase

Your National Insurance Record

What Counts as a Qualifying Year

Situation How It Qualifies
Employed, earning £123+/week Automatic through payroll
Self-employed Paying Class 2 NI
Claiming benefits NI credits (JSA, ESA, etc.)
Caring for children Child Benefit NI credit
Caring for adults Carer’s Credit
Receiving Working Tax Credit NI credits
Grandparent childcare Specified Adult Childcare Credit

Common Reasons for Gaps

Reason How to Fix
Low earnings May have paid reduced rate — check
Unemployment (not claiming) Cannot fill retrospectively
Time abroad May have contributed there
Self-employed (not paying Class 2) May owe — can pay back
Contracted out May reduce new state pension
Maternity without Child Benefit claim Claim NI credits

Checking Your NI Record

What to Look For

Viewing your record: Your NI record shows each tax year with one of these labels:

Label Meaning
Full year Counts towards state pension
Year is not full Missing contributions
No record No contributions made
You were contracted out Reduced NI rate paid

What “Not Full” Means

Scenario Typical Cause
Some contributions but not 52 weeks Part-year employment
Below earnings threshold Low-paid work
Missing credits Didn’t claim benefits
Self-employment unpaid Didn’t pay Class 2

Gaps in Your Record

How Gaps Affect Your Pension

Qualifying Years Weekly State Pension % of Full
35 £232.15 100%
32 £212.83 92%
30 £199.03 86%
25 £165.82 71%
20 £132.66 57%
15 £99.49 43%
10 £66.33 29%
Under 10 £0 0%

Filling Gaps with Voluntary Contributions

Class Cost (2026/27) Who Can Pay
Class 3 £17.45/week (£907.40/year) Most people
Class 2 £3.45/week (£179.40/year) Self-employed

Is It Worth Buying Years?

Quick calculation:

Factor Amount
Cost of 1 year (Class 3) £907.40
Extra pension per year ~£345
Break-even 2.6 years of receiving pension
20 years of retirement Return of ~£6,000

Usually excellent value — but get a state pension forecast first to confirm the benefit.

How to Buy Missing Years

Step 1: Get a forecast and identify gaps

Step 2: Check which years can be bought

Tax Year Normal Deadline Extended Deadline
2006/07 - 2015/16 Expired April 2025 N/A
2020/21 April 2027 —
2021/22 April 2028 —
2022/23 April 2029 —

Step 3: Contact Future Pension Centre

  • Phone: 0800 731 0175
  • Ask for a statement of how much each year costs
  • Ask how each year would affect your forecast

Step 4: Pay by phone, online, or bank transfer

NI Credits You Might Be Missing

Automatic Credits (Should Be Applied)

Credit Situation
Child Benefit Claiming for child under 12
Jobseeker’s Allowance Claiming JSA
Employment Support Allowance Claiming ESA
Universal Credit Claiming UC
Carer’s Allowance Claiming CA

Credits You Must Claim

Credit Situation How to Claim
Grandparent Childcare Credit Caring for grandchildren while parent works Form CA9176
Carer’s Credit Caring 20+ hours but not receiving CA Form CF411
Approved training On certain training courses Via training provider

Example: Grandparent Credit

If you’re a grandparent caring for grandchildren while the parent works, and the parent claims Child Benefit:

  1. Parent doesn’t need the credit (has enough NI from work)
  2. Parent transfers credit to you (Form CA9176)
  3. You get a qualifying year
  4. Your state pension increases

Contracted Out Pensions

What “Contracted Out” Means

Situation Effect
Pre-2016 employment Employer pension instead of SERPS/S2P
Reduced NI paid Lower contributions
Built up private pension Instead of additional state pension
Impact on new state pension Starting amount may be reduced

Your “Starting Amount”

If you have years contracted out before 2016:

Calculation Result
Old rules calculation What you’d get under old system
New rules calculation What you’d get under new system
Your starting amount Higher of the two
Minus contracted-out deduction If applicable
Your foundation amount What you start with

Example

Element Amount
Full state pension £232.15/week
Contracted-out deduction -£35.00/week
Starting amount £197.15/week
Years to SPA 5 years
Each year adds (1/35) £6.63/week
Final forecast £230.30/week

If Your Forecast Is Wrong

Common Errors

Problem What to Check
Missing years Did you work? Check with employer
Wrong employer info P60s, payslips
Credits not applied Child Benefit records, benefit claims
Overseas contributions Contact DWP

How to Correct Errors

Step 1: Gather evidence

  • P60s
  • Payslips
  • Benefit letters
  • Child Benefit records

Step 2: Contact HMRC

  • Phone: 0300 200 3500
  • Write with evidence

Step 3: Follow up

  • Check record again after 6 weeks
  • Escalate if not corrected

Maximizing Your State Pension

Action Plan by Age Group

Under 50:

Action Priority
Register for forecast Check baseline
Claim all NI credits Don’t miss free years
Fill recent gaps Still within deadline

50-60:

Action Priority
Full forecast review Plan final working years
Buy any valuable missing years Before deadline expires
Calculate if you’ll reach 35 years Know target

60+:

Action Priority
Confirm forecast accuracy Prepare for claiming
Final gap filling Last opportunity
Claim decision Start claim vs defer

Forecast vs Reality

What Can Change

Factor Effect
Government policy Pension rules could change
Your employment Could gain or lose years
Triple lock Affects future amounts
Inflation Affects real value

Planning with Uncertainty

Approach How
Check annually Review forecast each year
Don’t rely solely on state pension Build private savings
Assume conservative growth Don’t over-estimate
Consider worst case Plan for lower amount

Sources

  1. GOV.UK — Check your State Pension forecast
  2. GOV.UK — National Insurance and State Pension