Figures in this article are from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), GOV.UK and the Retirement Living Standards, as published on the dates given. Average State Pension figures are for 2024/25; full rates are for 2026/27 unless stated.

This article explains how much people get from the State Pension on average, what the full rate is, and how it compares with estimates of what a minimum, moderate or comfortable retirement costs.

How much is the average State Pension?

Source: DWP, for people receiving the State Pension, 2024/25 prices.

These figures include all types of State Pension, including the basic State Pension and any additional State Pension, so they can't be compared directly with the full rate of the new State Pension below.

How much is the full State Pension?

• New State Pension (for people who reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016): £241.30 a week (£12,547.60 a year) in 2026/27, rising to £250.70 a week (£13,036.40 a year) from April 2027.

• Basic State Pension (for people who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016): £184.90 a week in 2026/27, rising to £192.10 a week from April 2027.

The April 2027 increase of 3.9% is based on earnings growth, under the triple lock.

To get the full new State Pension, you usually need 35 qualifying years on your National Insurance record. This simple rule applies most directly if your record started after 6 April 2016.

If you had National Insurance years before April 2016, transitional rules apply. DWP works out a “starting amount” from your record at that date, using whichever is higher of what you’d have got under the old rules and the new rules. Qualifying years you add after April 2016 then increase it, up to the full rate. Depending on your record, you could get less than, the same as, or more than the full new State Pension. If you were contracted out of the additional State Pension before 2016, you may need more than 35 qualifying years to reach the full rate.

You usually need at least 10 qualifying years to get any new State Pension. These can be from before or after April 2016, and they don’t need to be consecutive. With between 10 and 34 years, you get a proportion of the full rate. Some people are treated differently, so check your own forecast on GOV.UK.

Not everyone gets the full rate. Royal London's analysis of DWP figures found that just over half of people receiving the new State Pension got the full amount in 2023.

How does the State Pension compare with retirement living costs?

The Retirement Living Standards estimate how much a minimum, moderate or comfortable retirement costs each year. They're calculated by Loughborough University for Pensions UK (formerly the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association). The figures are after tax, and they don't include housing costs such as rent or a mortgage.

Sources: DWP; Retirement Living Standards (2026). The two-person full State Pension assumes both people get the full new State Pension.

For one person, the full new State Pension is about £1,350 a year below the minimum standard. For a couple who both get the full new State Pension, it's about £2,600 above it.

Here's the gap between the median State Pension and each standard:

Our calculation. The median State Pension is for 2024/25 and the Retirement Living Standards are for 2026, so the gaps are approximate.

The gaps would be bigger for people paying rent or a mortgage, because the standards don't include housing costs. Other income, such as a workplace or personal pension, can help cover the gap. Read more: average retirement income UK.

Do you pay tax on the State Pension?

The State Pension is taxable income, but tax isn't taken off before it's paid. In 2026/27, the full new State Pension (£12,547.60) is just below the £12,570 Personal Allowance, so someone whose only income is the State Pension pays no income tax.

From April 2027, the full new State Pension (£13,036.40) will be higher than the Personal Allowance, which stays frozen at £12,570 until April 2031. The Government announced in the October 2026 Budget a new Pension Tax Allowance, from 6 April 2027 to 5 April 2030: people over State Pension age whose total income is no more than the full new State Pension won't pay income tax. People with income slightly above that get a smaller reduction. HMRC will apply it automatically. The allowance still has to be legislated.

Whether you pay income tax depends on your total income, the types of income you have, and any allowances or tax reductions that apply to you. In general, income above your Personal Allowance is taxable, but some types of income have their own allowances and rates (savings interest, for example, can be covered by the Personal Savings Allowance and the starting rate for savings), and tax rates differ in Scotland. From 6 April 2027, the Pension Tax Allowance, described above, may also reduce your tax bill if you’re over State Pension age.

Your total income can include:

• your State Pension (basic or new)

• any additional State Pension

• a workplace or personal pension

• earnings from employment or self-employment

• any taxable benefits

• other income, such as from savings, investments or property

Does everyone get a State Pension?

No. You need at least 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to get any new State Pension. A qualifying year is one in which you were:

• working and paying National Insurance contributions

• getting National Insurance credits, for example if you were unemployed, ill, a parent or a carer

• paying voluntary National Insurance contributions

How your years count can differ if you’ve lived or worked abroad or paid reduced-rate National Insurance as a married woman. Check your forecast.

State Pension age

State Pension age is rising from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028. A further rise to 68 is currently set for between 2044 and 2046. The Government's third review of State Pension age, launched in July 2025, is considering whether that should change. Its outcome must be published by March 2029.

You can keep working after State Pension age and still get your State Pension. You can also choose to defer it. Read more: the pros and cons of deferring your State Pension.