How Much Is the UK State Pension in 2026?
The full new State Pension is £230.25 per week (£11,973 per year), paid to approximately 12.7 million pensioners. Total cost to the UK: approximately £145 billion per year. Watch state pension spending tick in real time.
About These Statistics
The full new State Pension in 2025-26 is £230.25 per week — equivalent to £11,973 per year — paid to people who reached State Pension age after 6 April 2016. The full basic State Pension (for those who retired before that date) is £176.45 per week, or £9,175 per year. Approximately 12.7 million people in the UK currently receive a State Pension, making it the single largest item of UK government welfare expenditure.
Total UK government spending on the State Pension is approximately £145 billion per year in 2025-26, accounting for around 5% of GDP and approximately 11% of all public spending. State pension spending has roughly doubled in cash terms since 2010, driven by the rising number of pensioners (the UK population aged 65+ is now over 12.5 million), the introduction of the new flat-rate pension, and the triple lock guarantee.
The triple lock, introduced in 2010, guarantees the State Pension rises each April by the highest of inflation (CPI in September), average wage growth (May–July), or 2.5%. In April 2025 the State Pension rose by 4.1% in line with wage growth. The Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts state pension spending to exceed £170 billion per year by 2030 on current policy.
Eligibility for the full new State Pension requires 35 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions or credits. Fewer years entitle you to a proportional amount, with a minimum of 10 qualifying years to receive any new State Pension. People can also defer their State Pension to increase the eventual weekly amount by approximately 1% for every 9 weeks deferred. The State Pension age is currently 66, rising to 67 between 2026 and 2028, and to 68 between 2044 and 2046.
Pension Credit tops up income for the poorest pensioners to a guaranteed minimum (around £227.10 per week for a single pensioner, £346.60 for couples in 2025-26). However, approximately 850,000 eligible households do not claim Pension Credit, missing out on collective entitlement of around £2 billion per year. Take-up campaigns have intensified since the Winter Fuel Payment was means-tested to Pension Credit recipients in 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on official UK government data
How much is the UK State Pension per week in 2026?
The full new State Pension is £230.25 per week in 2025-26 (April 2025 to April 2026), or £11,973 per year. The full basic State Pension (for people who retired before April 2016) is £176.45 per week, or £9,175 per year. These figures rose by 4.1% in April 2025 under the triple lock.
How much does the UK spend on the State Pension?
The UK spends approximately £145 billion per year on the State Pension in 2025-26, paid to around 12.7 million pensioners. This is the single largest item of welfare expenditure — larger than the entire NHS England budget for community services. State pension spending has roughly doubled in cash terms since 2010 and is forecast to exceed £170 billion per year by 2030.
What is the UK State Pension age in 2026?
The UK State Pension age is currently 66 for both men and women. It is scheduled to rise to 67 between April 2026 and March 2028, and to 68 between 2044 and 2046. A statutory review is due to consider whether the rise to 68 should be brought forward in light of revised life-expectancy projections. You can check your own State Pension age on gov.uk.