The UK State Pension, Explained 🏛️
The State Pension can feel like a maze of rules and numbers. But once you get the gist, it’s actually fairly simple.
This quick guide breaks it down:
👉 What it is
👉 Who gets it
👉 How much you could get
👉 And how it fits into the bigger picture for your future
So… what actually is the State Pension? 🤔
It’s a regular payment from the government once you hit State Pension age. Think of it as a basic income to support you later in life - no matter what other savings or pensions you have.
But to get it, you need to build up enough National Insurance (NI) contributions over your working life.
Who qualifies?
You’ll need at least 10 years of NI contributions or credits to get any State Pension.
To get the full amount, you’ll usually need 35 qualifying years.
That doesn’t mean 35 years in a row. You earn qualifying years by:
Working and earning over ~£6,500/year
Being self-employed and paying Class 2 NI
Getting NI credits (for raising kids, caring, or claiming certain benefits)
Paying voluntary NI contributions to fill gaps
You can check your record anytime on the GOV.UK website.
How much is the State Pension? 💰
As of April 2025, the full new State Pension is:
💷 £230.25 per week
💷 About £11,973 a year
But if you have fewer than 35 qualifying years, you’ll get less - roughly 1/35th of the full amount for each qualifying year.
So for example:
20 years = ~£131/week
10 years = ~£66/week (the minimum to qualify)
The amount usually goes up each April thanks to the triple lock, which means it rises by the highest of inflation, average earnings, or 2.5%.
When do you get it? 🕒
The current State Pension age is 66, and it’ll rise to 67 by 2028. It might go up to 68 for younger generations — but that’s still under review.
A few months before you reach pension age, the government will invite you to claim. But it’s not automatic - you have to apply (online, by phone or by post).
What about couples? 👥
There’s no such thing as a joint State Pension. Everyone builds up their own entitlement based on their own NI record.
So if one partner has fewer qualifying years, they’ll get a smaller amount - it’s not topped up by the other person’s contributions.
But will the State Pension still be around when I retire? 🤷♀️
A fair question.
The State Pension has been around since 1909, and it’s still a central part of retirement for most people in the UK.
But it’s under pressure - people are living longer, the working population is shrinking, and costs are rising. While no one knows exactly what changes might come, many experts expect future tweaks: maybe the pension age rises, or means testing comes into play for higher earners.
Bottom line: the State Pension is a great foundation, but probably not one to rely on alone.
What should you do next?
The State Pension is just one piece of your future income - and not a particularly big one. That £11,973 a year might cover the basics, but probably not the comfortable lifestyle you’re hoping for.
That’s where personal and workplace pensions come in.
And that’s why we built Chest.
Chest helps you:
🟢 Combine old workplace pensions
🟢 Set up a pension if you're self-employed
🟢 Earn cashback and save automatically
🟢 Track your pension progress with easy-to-understand tools
Together, your State Pension + your Chest pension (+ your workplace pension, if you have one) = more freedom, more security, and a future that's truly yours.
