The full new State Pension amount for the 2025-26 financial year is £230.25 per week, which amounts to about £12,000 per year, depending on the number of qualifying National Insurance years one has. For those who reached State Pension age before April 2016, the full basic State Pension is £176.45 per week, or £9,607 annually. These amounts are subject to annual increases based on the highest of earnings growth, inflation, or 2.5% due to the "triple lock" policy.
New State Pension
- Full weekly amount: £230.25 (2025-26)
- Requires 35 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions for the full amount
- Payments depend on individual National Insurance record and whether contracted out of the Additional State Pension before 2016
- Annual rises by 2.5%, inflation, or earnings growth, whichever is highest
Basic State Pension (pre-April 2016)
- Full weekly amount: £176.45 (2025-26)
- Requires 30 qualifying years (men born 1945-1951) or 44 years (men born before 1945), less for women depending on birth year
- Also subject to annual increase by the triple lock
Annual Increase
The "triple lock" policy annually increases the State Pension by the highest of inflation, average earnings growth, or 2.5%. For example, the latest increase is about 4.7%, raising the new State Pension to £241.05 weekly from April 2026.
Therefore, the exact amount a person receives depends on their National Insurance history, pension type (new or basic), and annual adjustments.
