As the population of the UK continues to live longer, more and more people are now claiming a pension. The most common remains the state pension, designed to give people a regular retirement income from the government.
Those who qualify for this payment will get it regardless of whether they have other incomes or pensions, as it is based on contributions made whilst earning an income.
It will be paid at different rates based on these contributions, up to a maximum of £230.25 per week, or £11,973 a year. This increases every year in line with the triple lock.
After it is first claimed, it is usually paid every four weeks, instead of the same date every month.
Here is everything you need to know about the state pension, how you can boost yours and how you can maximise your income in retirement.
How does the state pension increase?
The state pension rises every year to keep up with rising costs and other financial pressures. The triple-lock guarantee, first implemented in 2011, means the figure increases year-on-year by the highest of three measures. These are:
- Inflation, taken from the previous September’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) figure
- The average wage increase in the UK
- Or 2.5 per cent, if both inflation and earnings are lower than this percentage
In 2025, the state pension increased by 8.5 per cent, matching wage growth in 2024. Back in 2023, it rose by a massive 10.1 per cent as the cost of living crisis and after-effects of the Covid pandemic continued to be felt.
The triple lock was introduced to ensure that the state pension would not be outstripped by rising prices, nor by the average spending power of those in work.
The measure has been criticised for potentially lacking long-term sustainability, costing the government more each year. In 2023/24, pension payments cost the government an estimated £124.3bn. It also may be changed in the future.
How you can check your state pension
For those below state pension age, you can visit gov.uk to check your state pension forecast. This will tell you how much you could receive when you retire, alongside when you can get it, if you can increase it and how you can increase it.
This forecast can also be accessed via the HMRC app. Both of these online methods – which are the fastest – will require login information to be created when first used.
Those not within 30 days of reaching state pension age also have the option of sending a BR19 application form by post, or calling the Future Pension Centre who will post the forecast to you.
Those already receiving the state pension are advised to contact the Pension Service about their payments. And if you live abroad, you need to contact the International Pension Centre.
Can you boost your state pension?
The amount you receive in your state pension depends on how many years of National Insurance (NI) contributions you have made. These are called “qualifying years” and you need at least ten to receive any state pension at all.
To receive the full state pension, you need 35 qualifying years.
This means anyone with gaps in their NI record might be able to pay voluntary contributions to plug these gaps and boost their entitlement. The gaps may have arisen because they were employed but had low earnings, unemployed and not claiming benefits, self-employed and not paying in contributions, or other reasons.
These gaps can typically be filled in for the past six years, with the deadline being 5 April every year.
Lisa Picardo, chief business officer UK at PensionBee said: “Buying back missing National Insurance years can be an effective way to boost your State Pension, particularly if you are approaching retirement and discover you do not have the full 35 qualifying years of contributions or credits needed to receive the maximum State Pension amount.
“Depending on how many years you are missing or short, the upfront cost can be relatively small compared to the long-term financial benefit of a higher State Pension paid out for the rest of your life, making it worthwhile for many people to top up these gaps.”
Do I need a workplace pension and a state pension?
Most experts advise that workers invest in pension pots beyond what they will receive from the state pension alone in retirement. This is because the roughly £12,000 a year it can grant at most is unlikely to be able to fund a viable standard of living in retirement.
The state pension can also only be accessed at retirement age – currently 66 and due to rise to 67 for everyone by 2028. However, private pensions can typically be accessed from age 55 (rising to 57 from 2028) giving more flexibility for those who might want to retire earlier.
This means building up a personal or workplace pension is “crucial” says Ms Picardo, “to support the achievement of a more comfortable lifestyle that most people need in later life.”
She adds: “Even small, regular contributions paid into a personal or workplace pension can grow into substantial retirement wealth over time, especially as retirement savings are boosted with the help of tax relief, and they grow over the long-term benefitting from compounding investment returns.
“If you are employed, you may also benefit from employer contributions, which are typically at least three per cent of your wages. Increasing your contributions or asking your employer to match a higher amount can make a real difference to the size of your final pension pot.”
The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) has said that a single retiree needs around £14,400 a year to cover the basics in retirement, rising to £31,300 for a ‘moderate’ lifestyle.
But research by PensionBee suggests that most people are retiring with far less than this. The average pot size for someone over the age of 50 is expected to be under £88,000, the provider’s most recent Pension Landscape shows, rising to £124,000 for those currently aged 40 to 39.
Many people also stop working before the state pension age, often to to ill health or caring responsibilities - what experts call a ‘pre-state pension gap’ where a significant financial shortfall is faced.
“To close this gap, people need to save into a personal pension, increase contributions where possible, and consider combining old pots to keep track of and manage their savings,” says Ms Picardo. “If you are self-employed or not eligible for a workplace pension scheme, a personal pension like a SIPP can help you independently build up your retirement savings in a tax-efficient way and take control of your retirement outcome.”
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