Pension and National Insurance numbers for 2026/27: rates and allowances in one place

The short answer: In 2026/27 the pension annual allowance is £60,000, but tax relief stops at 100% of your earnings (or £3,600 if higher). The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week. The Personal Allowance is £12,570. Self-employed people pay Class 4 NI at 6%. Statutory Maternity Pay is up to £194.32 a week after the first 6 weeks.

This page puts the numbers people look up most in one place, so you don't need ten GOV.UK tabs open. Each figure links to the page it came from. The 2026/27 tax year runs from 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027.

What's the most I can pay into a pension each year if I'm self-employed?

There are two limits, and the lower one is usually the one that matters. You can get tax relief on payments up to 100% of your earnings, and the annual allowance caps the total at £60,000.

Strictly, there's no limit on how much you can pay in. The limits are on tax relief and on tax-free saving:

Figures assume UK tax residence and a defined contribution pension, such as a personal pension or SIPP.

So if your profits are £30,000, that's the most you get relief on, even though the annual allowance is higher. If you used less than your allowance in earlier years, you might carry it forward from the previous 3 tax years. Our guide to self-employed pension tax relief walks through it.

Capital at risk. The value of your pension can go down as well as up, and you may get back less than you pay in.

Tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in future.

How much tax relief do I get on what I pay in?

Basic-rate relief is added for you, so every £80 you pay in becomes £100 in your pot. Higher and additional-rate taxpayers can claim more back.

In a personal pension, your provider claims relief at the basic 20% rate and adds it to your pot. This is called relief at source. If you pay more tax than that, you claim the rest on your Self Assessment tax return. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, GOV.UK says you can claim:

• an extra 20% on payments up to the amount of income you paid 40% tax on

• an extra 25% on payments up to the amount of income you paid 45% tax on

Scotland has its own extra rates, from 1% to 28%.

What if you earn little or nothing? You still get relief on up to £2,880 a year with no earnings. That's where the £3,600 figure comes from.

Example: the £3,600 rule, worked through

These numbers are made up. Jo has no earnings this year and pays £2,880 into a personal pension. The provider adds 20% relief of £720, so £3,600 lands in the pot. That's the most Jo can get relief on this year.

How much is the full new State Pension this year?

The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week. That's about £12,548 a year.

What you get depends on your National Insurance (NI) record:

• You need 10 qualifying years to get any new State Pension.

• If your record started after April 2016, you need 35 qualifying years for the full rate.

• It rises each year by the highest of wage growth, prices (CPI) or 2.5%. That's the triple lock.

You can check your own forecast on GOV.UK. Our State Pension guide explains how the years add up.

What's the tax-free personal allowance right now?

The standard Personal Allowance is £12,570. That's how much income you can have before you pay Income Tax.

Source: GOV.UK Income Tax rates. Assumes the standard Personal Allowance. Scotland has different bands.

Two things can change this. Above £100,000, your allowance drops by £1 for every £2 of adjusted net income, so it's gone at £125,140. And if you're self-employed, your first £1,000 of trading income is tax-free under the trading allowance.

What National Insurance do self-employed people pay now that Class 2 has been scrapped?

Most self-employed people now pay just Class 4. Class 2 still exists, but you no longer have to pay it.

Here's how it works in 2026/27, using GOV.UK's self-employed rates:

Profits means your self-employed income minus your expenses. Assumes no special rules apply to your work.

This matters for your State Pension. Class 2 counts towards it, but Class 4 doesn't count towards state benefits or pensions. If your profits are low, voluntary Class 2 costs £3.65 a week. Class 3 costs £18.40 a week and covers the State Pension but not Maternity Allowance. Our guide to self-employed NI and your State Pension compares the two.

How much National Insurance do employees pay?

Most employees pay 8% on weekly pay between £242.01 and £967, then 2% above that. Your employer takes it from your pay.

These are the category A rates for 2026/27:

Most employees have category A. Your letter is on your payslip.

Employers also pay 15% on earnings above their threshold.

How much is Statutory Maternity Pay in the UK?

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) pays 90% of your average weekly earnings for 6 weeks. Then it's £194.32 a week, or 90% if that's lower, for 33 weeks. Tax and NI come off, as with your wages.

Figures assume you qualify. Your employer may pay more under its own scheme.

If you're self-employed, Maternity Allowance depends on Class 2. To get the most, you need Class 2 for at least 13 of the 66 weeks before your baby is due. Our guide to SMP or Maternity Allowance explains which one you'd get.

Example: SMP on £500 a week, worked through

These numbers are made up. Priya's average weekly earnings are £500. For the first 6 weeks she gets 90%, which is £450 a week, so £2,700. For the next 33 weeks she gets £194.32 a week, because that's lower than 90%. That's £6,412.56. Her SMP totals £9,112.56 before tax and NI.

When do you have to pay back Child Benefit?

You start paying it back when one of you has adjusted net income over £60,000. You repay 1% for every £200 above that, and all of it above £80,000.

Child Benefit is £27.05 a week for your eldest child and £17.90 for each other child. Even if you pay it all back, claiming still matters. It gives you NI credits while your child is under 12, and those count towards your State Pension.

Paying into a pension lowers your adjusted net income. With relief at source, you take off £1.25 for every £1 you pay in.

Example: the Child Benefit charge, worked through

These numbers are made up. Sam has one child and adjusted net income of £70,000. That's £10,000 over the line, so Sam repays 50% of a year's Child Benefit (£27.05 x 52 = £1,406.60). The charge is £703.30.

If Sam paid £8,000 into a personal pension, £10,000 would come off (£8,000 x 1.25). Adjusted net income would be £60,000, so there'd be no charge. That's an illustration of the rules, not a suggestion of what to pay.

What can I check now?

Each of these free checks takes a few minutes:

1. Check your State Pension forecast and NI record on GOV.UK for gaps.

2. If you're self-employed, check your profits against the £7,105 line so your year still counts.

3. Add up what you and any employer pay into pensions this year, and compare it with your earnings and the £60,000 allowance.

4. If you pay 40% or 45% tax, make sure you claim the extra relief on your tax return.

5. If you have a baby on the way, work out whether you'd get SMP or Maternity Allowance.

Our maternity leave planner helps you see your pay week by week. Everyone's situation is different, so we can't say what's right for you. MoneyHelper's free guidance is a good next step if you want help.

Still got questions?

When can I take money out of my pension? Usually from 55. The minimum age rises to 57 from 6 April 2028, with some exceptions.

How much of my pension can I take tax-free? You can usually take 25% tax-free, up to £268,275 in total. That cap is the lump sum allowance.

Is there still a lifetime allowance? No. It was abolished from 6 April 2024.

Does my employer's pension payment count towards my allowance? Yes. The annual allowance covers money paid in by you or anyone else, including your employer.

Are the tax bands the same in Scotland? No. Scotland has different Income Tax bands. Check the Scottish rates if you live there.

Can I opt out of Child Benefit and keep my NI credits? Yes. If you stay registered but stop the payments, you still get NI credits towards your State Pension.