Note: This blog relates specifically to the New State Pension, which applies to:
- Men born on or after 6th April 1951
- Women born on or after 6th April 1953
If you were born before these dates, you’ll be entitled to the Basic State Pension instead.
How to Qualify for the State Pension
You build your State Pension entitlement by paying National Insurance (NI) — either through employment, self-assessment, or by receiving NI credits.
To receive any State Pension, you must have at least 10 qualifying years on your NI record. These years don’t need to be consecutive.
If you have 10 qualifying years, you’ll receive 10/35ths of the full pension. For 2025/26, that’s approximately £63.20 per week, or £3,286.40 per year.
How to Get the Maximum State Pension
To receive the full New State Pension, you’ll need 35 qualifying years of NI contributions.
As of April 2025, the full amount is £221.20 per week, which works out to £11,502.40 per year.
If you have between 10 and 35 qualifying years, your pension will be calculated proportionally.
Check Your Contributions
You can check your NI record and State Pension forecast online. You’ll need a Government Gateway account, which you can create easily if you don’t already have one.
Pension Age
Your State Pension age will be between 65 and 68, depending on your date of birth. You can check your personal retirment age online.
When you reach this age, you’ll receive a letter explaining how to claim. If you wish to defer, you don’t need to take any action.
Voluntary Payments
You can make voluntary NI payments to fill gaps in your record:
- Self-employed and earning below the threshold (currently £6,845 for 2025/26): You can opt to pay Class 2 NI via your tax return.
- Class 3 contributions: These can be paid to fill gaps, but won’t always increase your pension. Future Pension Centre can help you assess whether it’s worthwhile.
Other Pensions
You may also have a workplace or private pension. Each pension will have it’s own terms and conditions about what age you have to reach in order to claim the pension. Many allow you to claim much earlier than the State Pension.
Further Advice
Pensions advice is regulated, so as an accountant I can’t advise on specific pension products. However, I work closely with a trusted pensions advisor and would be happy to introduce you if you’d like professional guidance.
All figures correct as of 14 November 2025.
