How to Claim the State Pension (UK)
You do not get the State Pension automatically. You have to claim it. The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week (2026/27). You need 35 qualifying years to get the full amount. You need at least 10 years to get anything at all. You can claim online with your invitation code. You can claim by phone. Or you can claim by post. Your first payment comes no later than 5 weeks after your chosen start date. After that, you are paid every 4 weeks.
At a glance
- Cost:
- Free
- Total time:
- 30 min to claim; first payment within 5 weeks
- Steps:
- 9 steps
- Where to apply:
- gov.uk
Last reviewed November 2026 against official sources. Re-checked every 6 months · next review due May 2027.
The Steps
Follow these in order
Each card shows the phase, expected time, and any cost. Data checked against official UK sources(November 2026).
0 of 9 steps
- Before You Go 5 min
Check which pension applies to you
You get the new State Pension if you reach State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016 under the new rules. This means a man born on or after 6 April 1951, or a woman born on or after 6 April 1953. Did you reach State Pension age before then? Then you get the basic State Pension instead. It works under the old rules.
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- Before You Go 5 min
What changes from April 2027
From April 2027 the full new State Pension rises to £250.70 a week, which is £13,036.40 a year. That is up from £241.30 a week in 2026/27. The Personal Allowance stays frozen at £12,570, so the full pension on its own is now above the tax-free line. To stop that creating a small tax bill, Budget 2026 brought in a new Pension Tax Allowance from 6 April 2027. If your total income is £13,036.40 or less, you pay no income tax on it. The allowance falls by £1 for every £3 of income above that, and it is gone at £13,319. It runs for 2027/28, 2028/29 and 2029/30.
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- Before You Go 10 min
Check your State Pension age and forecast
State Pension age is 66 if you were born before 6 April 1960, and it then rises in monthly steps to 67 in stages. This affects people born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961, and it is 67 for anyone born on or after 6 March 1961. A further rise to 68 is planned for 2044–2046. Check your State Pension forecast on gov.uk. It shows your exact date. It also shows how much you could get.
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- Before You Go 10 min
Check your qualifying years
You need at least 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to get any new State Pension. For the full rate, you need 35 qualifying years. This applies if your NI record started after April 2016 under these rules. You may need more if you were contracted out before 2016. You earn qualifying years in three ways. You work and pay NI. You get NI credits, for example for unemployment, illness, or caring. Or you pay voluntary NI. If you have between 10 and 35 years, you get a share of the full amount.
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- Before You Go 10 min
Decide whether to defer
You can delay claiming. This is called deferring. It increases your pension. Your pension rises for every week you defer. You must defer at least 9 weeks. It rises by just under 5.8% for each year you defer. When you do claim, you have choices for the deferred amount. You can take it as a one-off payment of arrears, for up to 52 weeks. You can take it as higher regular payments. This is called extra State Pension. Or you can take both. You cannot build up deferral while you or your partner get certain benefits.
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- Fill / Prepare 15 min
Gather what you need
Get these ready first. You need the date of your most recent marriage, civil partnership, or divorce. You need the dates of any time you spent living or working abroad. You need your bank or building society details. You also need any social security numbers for foreign state pension schemes. For an online claim, you also need the invitation code from your State Pension letter.
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- Submit & Pay 30 min
Claim online, by phone or by post
Online: apply on gov.uk with your invitation code. Have you not had a letter, but you are within 3 months of State Pension age? Ask for an invitation code. By phone: phone the Pension Service to claim if you reach State Pension age in the next 4 months. By post: phone the Pension Service for a claim form. Send it to Freepost DWPDepartment for Work and Pensions — The UK department for benefits and pensions, including Universal Credit and State Pension.Click for official info ↗ Pensions Service 3 by post. You do not need a stamp or a postcode.
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- Wait Up to 5 weeks
Wait for the decision and first payment
After you claim, you will get a letter about your payments. When you claim, you choose when your State Pension starts. Your first payment will be no later than 5 weeks after that date. You might get a part-payment before your first full payment. Tell the Pension Service if your circumstances change.
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- Receive Ongoing
Get paid every 4 weeks
The new State Pension is usually paid into your account every 4 weeks. Your payment day depends on the last two digits of your National Insurance numberNINO — Your UK tax and social security number. You need it to work, pay tax, and claim benefits.Click for official info ↗. The days are: 00–19 Monday, 20–39 Tuesday, 40–59 Wednesday, 60–79 Thursday, 80–99 Friday. If your day is a bank holiday, you are paid earlier. Tell the Pension Service if you change your account.
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Be Careful
Don't make these mistakes
Waiting for the pension to start on its own. You do not get the State Pension automatically. You have to claim it. If you do not claim at State Pension age, your pension defers on its own and your later pension then grows.
Assuming State Pension age is 66 for everyone. State Pension age is 66 if you were born before 6 April 1960, and it then rises in monthly steps to 67, and it is 67 for anyone born on or after 6 March 1961. A further rise to 68 is planned for 2044 to 2046. Check your State Pension forecast on gov.uk for your exact date.
Claiming with too few qualifying years. You need at least 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to get any new State Pension. For the full rate you need 35 qualifying years. If you have between 10 and 35 years, you get a share of the full amount.
Forgetting time spent living or working abroad. You need the dates of any time you spent living or working abroad, and any social security numbers for foreign state pension schemes. Time in the EEA or Switzerland can count towards the 10 year minimum, but the amount you are paid is based on your UK qualifying years only.
Assuming your pension rises every year wherever you live. Your pension only rises each year if you live in the EEA, Gibraltar, Switzerland, or a country with a UK social security agreement. You get no yearly increases in Canada or New Zealand, and in most other countries, including Australia, it stays frozen. If you return to live in the UK, it rises to the current rate.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I get my State Pension automatically?
No. You have to claim it. If you do not claim at State Pension age, your pension defers on its own. Your later pension then grows. See the section on deferring. You will get a letter before State Pension age. It tells you what to do.
How much is the full new State Pension?
It is £241.30 a week in 2026/27. From April 2027 it rises to £250.70 a week, which is £13,036.40 a year. With 35 qualifying years, you get the full rate. You may get more if you were contracted out. With 10–34 years, you get a share of the full amount. This is roughly £6.89 a week for each qualifying year in 2026/27. Did you pay into the Additional State Pension before 2016? Would you have done better under the old rules? Then you get a protected payment on top.
Can I claim the State Pension and keep working?
Yes. You can claim even if you keep working. Once you pass State Pension age, you stop paying National Insurance. Working longer also adds qualifying years. This helps if you have not yet reached the full rate.
What if I lived or worked abroad?
You can claim from abroad if you have enough NI contributions. Time spent paying into a scheme in the EEA or Switzerland can count towards the 10-year minimum. The same applies in a country with a UK social security agreement. But the amount you are paid is based on your UK qualifying years only. The International Pension Centre deals with overseas claims. Note this point about yearly rises. Your pension only rises each year if you live in the EEA, Gibraltar, Switzerland, or a country with a UK social security agreement. You get no yearly increases in Canada or New Zealand. In most other countries, including Australia, it stays frozen. If you return to live in the UK, it rises to the current rate.
Do I pay tax on my State Pension?
Yes. The State Pension counts as taxable income. How much tax you pay depends on your total income for the year. No tax is taken from the State Pension itself. HMRCHM Revenue & Customs — The UK tax authority. It collects income tax, issues National Insurance numbers, and runs Self Assessment.Click for official info ↗ collects any tax due through your tax code. This applies to other income, such as a private pension or earnings. From 6 April 2027, the new Pension Tax Allowance means pensioners whose total income is £13,037 or less pay no income tax on it. The allowance tapers away at £1 for every £3 above £13,037 and is fully removed at £13,319. It applies for 2027/28 to 2029/30.
What if I have fewer than 10 qualifying years?
On your UK record alone, you get no UK State Pension. But time in the EEA or Switzerland may help you reach 10 years. Time in a country with a social security agreement may help too. Are you on a low income? Check if Pension Credit can top up your income instead.
What if I reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016?
You get the basic State Pension under the old rules. The rates and the rules for qualifying are different. How you claim is similar. Claim online, by phone, or by post through the Pension Service.
How do I increase my State Pension?
Before State Pension age, you have three options. Keep working and paying NI. Claim NI credits you are entitled to. Or pay voluntary NI contributions to fill gaps. After State Pension age, you can defer claiming. Each year you defer adds just under 5.8% to your weekly payments.
When will my State Pension be paid?
You are paid every 4 weeks into your bank or building society account. Your first payment arrives no later than 5 weeks after your chosen start date. Your payment day depends on the last two digits of your NI numberNational Insurance number — Your UK tax and social security number. You need it to work, pay tax, and claim benefits.Click for official info ↗. The range runs from 00–19 Monday through 80–99 Friday.
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