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The state pension increased by 8.5% in April, thanks to a rule called the triple lock. It’s also set to rise by a further £460 per year in 2025. We outline how much more money eligible pensioners will receive.
How much you get from the state in retirement depends on a number of factors, including your age, when you retired, and your national insurance record.
The state pension age, which is the age that people can start claiming their state entitlement, has been rising and will increase again from April 2026.
The state pension has also been rising – thanks to something called the triple lock – and is expected to rise again by 4% in 2025.
In this article, we explain:
- How much is the UK state pension in 2024?
- How much will the UK state pension rise to in 2025?
- How much has the state pension increased by in 2024?
- How much state pension will I get?
- When will I get the state pension?
- What is the state pension?
- When is the state pension age increasing?
Read more: Should I defer my state pension?
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How much is the state pension in 2024?
There are two types of state pension being paid out to older people – although confusingly they both get called the state pension.
Simply put, one is the new full state pension, for people who reached pensionable age after April 2016 when the new system was introduced.
And the other is the old basic state pension or the additional rate pension – and this is what older people, who reached the pension age before the system changed in April 2016, are getting.
Here’s more detail on them both:
Old basic state pension
This applies to those people who reached state pension age before April 6, 2016.
The basic state pension is now £169.50 a week – or £8,814 a year.
REMEMBER: These figures are for the full basic state pension. The actual amount you get depends on your national insurance record.
Some pensioners might also get more than this if they qualified for the additional state pension – also known as the state earnings-related pension scheme (Serps) and State Second Pension (S2P) – however this will depend on what they earned while working and whether or not they contracted out of it for a period of time.
New full state pension
This isfor those reaching state pension age on or after April 6, 2016. It applies to men born on or after April 6, 1951 and women born on or after April 6, 1953.
The currentnew full state pension is £221.20 a week– or £11,502.40 a year.
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How much will the UK state pension rise to in 2025?
Since 2011, the state pension has risen each year based on something called the “triple lock”.
This is a promise from the government that pensions will rise in line with average earnings, the cost of living or 2.5% – whichever is highest.
With CPI inflation – the measure of the cost of living the government uses for its pensions calculations – currently below 2.5%, it looks like earnings will be used to set the state pension rise in April.
The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that wage growth was up 4% in the three months to July. It’s expected this figure will be used to determine the rise to the state pension from 2025, which will be around £460 annually.
The triple lock was briefly suspended in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, but swiftly re-introduced after a single missed year. The Labour government has confirmed its commitment to it.
Read more: The state pension triple lock explained
What is the state pension age in 2024?
The state pension age is 66 years old for both men and women. You can check when you’ll receive your state pension here.
For those born after April 5,1960, there will be a phased increase in state pension age. It is set to rise to 67 between May 2026 and March 2028. From 2044, it is expected to rise to 68.
How much state pension will I get at 66?
People turning 66 before 2026 will be entitled to the new state pension. How much they will get depends on how many years of national insurance credits they have built up.
How much is pensions credit a week?
If you’ve passed state pension age and are on a low income, pensions credit is there to top up your income. It can also help cover housing costs and offer a boost if you’re severely disabled, responsible for a child or young person, or you are a carer.
Pension credit is also a gateway to other kinds of state support – for example, from this autumn only people receiving pension credit will be eligible for winter fuel payments to help with energy costs.
Read more: What is pension credit and can I claim it?
It’s a separate benefit from the state pension – and you can qualify for it even if you have savings, other sources of income or own your own home.
Pension credit tops your income up to £218.15 a week if you’re single or £332.95 if you have a partner.
You can see if you’re eligible to claim here.
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How much the state pension increased in 2024
The triple lock guarantees the state pension rises annually by the highest of three things: average earnings growth, inflation and 2.5%.
So, thanks to the triple lock, the state pension rose by 8.5% in April 2024. That means the state pension is now worth:
- The full new state pension rose from £203.85 a week to £221.20 a week, or £11,502 a year
- The full basic state pension rose from £156.20 a week to £169.50 a week, or £8,814 a year
The increase for 2024/2025 is the second bumper increase in a row for the state pension: it increased by 10.1% in 2023–2024 when the triple lock followed the high inflation rate of 10.1% of September 2022.
Bear in mind that how much a person actually gets depends on their national insurance record and other factors.
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How do I check my state pension forecast?
Find out how much you could get by looking at yourstate pension forecast on the government’s pension service online. It takes only two minutes to check.
You may find it makes sense to make voluntary contributions to fill gaps in your national insurance (NI) record.
Read more about how much you need to retire.
How many NI years do I need for the full state pension?
You need at least ten years of national insurance credits to get anything at all and 35 years of full national insurance credits to claim the full amount of state pension.
Some confusion around this persists because, under the old system for people who reached state pension age before April 2016, it used to be 30 years.
Read more: ‘Should I top up my state pension with NI contributions?‘
When is the state pension age increasing?
The age at which you can draw the state pension will rise from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028. The government argues that it needs to increase the pension age because people are living longer.
The age will then rise to 68 between 2037 and 2039. There had been speculation that the government could raise the age to 68 from 2035 in order to help balance the public finances but the Conservative government had said it would not happen before 2044. The new Labour government might make its own changes, of course.
Read more: “No pension, no property – what should I do with my £100,000 savings?”
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What is the state pension?
The state pension is income provided by the government once you reach a certain age – currently 66 for men and women – and have passed certain eligibility criteria.
It paid for by younger taxpayers, via national insurance contributions which are also used for paying some benefits including maternity allowance, contribution-based jobseeker’s allowance, employment and support allowance and bereavement support payments.
How much you get from the state pension depends on the number of years you have on your national insurance record: you need a minimum of ten years to receive anything and 35 years to get the maximum amount. The government website lets you see how many years you have accumulated.
You can find out more about pensions and how they work in our simple guide.
How do I claim my state pension?
Unfortunately, you won’t receive yours automatically when you reach the correct age. Instead, you need to claim it.
You should receive an invitation letter from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) two months before you reach state pension age which tells you how to claim. The quickest way is to apply online through the government website.
If you don’t claim your state pension it will be automatically deferred.
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Should I defer my state pension?
Deferring your state pension canincrease the payments you get when you do decide to claim it. But there’s no right or wrong decision here – it really depends on your personal circ*mstances.
Deferring your state pension may be a smart move if you’re still working and state pension income would take you into a higher tax bracket, for example.It’s therefore a good idea to know the pros and cons of delaying it.
Read more: A guide to deferring your state pension
What happens to my state pension if I retire overseas?
You can still receive your UK state pension if you retire overseas, as long as you have sufficient qualifying years of national insurance contributions.
For more advice or information about pensions and benefits if you live abroad, search on the government-run website International Pension Centre.
You will be entitled to annual increases in your state pension only if you live in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland. You can also get rises if you live in a country with a social security agreement with the UK that allows for increases, such as the USA, Jamaica and Israel.
What happens to my partner’s state pension when they die?
You may be able to inherit a spouse or civil partner’s state pension entitlement when they die.
This is a big maybe.
Those who reached state pension age before April 6, 2016 could be eligible to inherit some of a spouse or civil partner’s state pension when they die.
If you are eligible for your partner’s state pension income, this will be adjusted automatically by the DWP so you don’t have to apply for it.
Read more: What does a pension pot worth £37,000, £150,000 and £500,000 give you?
Can I carry on working and claim the state pension?
Yes, you can carry on working full-time or part-time, or doing freelance work while claiming the state pension.
Bear in mind that you won’t pay national insurance contributions on your wages if you continue to work past pension age, but you could end up paying tax on your weekly state pension depending how much you earn.
Read more: How much do I need to retire?
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