How to Check Your State Pension Forecast and See if You Can Increase It
Check your State Pension forecast, pension age and National Insurance record, then see whether credits, future contributions or filling gaps could increase your pension.
GB United Kingdom
Work & Retirement ~ 12 min read
19 FAQ
Updated 2026-09-10
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Use the official State Pension forecast service to see how much State Pension you could get, when you can get it and whether you may be able to increase it. You can also check your National Insurance record to identify gaps and see whether paying voluntary contributions would improve your forecast. Do not pay simply because a year shows as incomplete: voluntary contributions do not always increase State Pension, and you should check first whether you can receive National Insurance credits for free. In 2026 to 2027, the full new State Pension is £241.30 a week and voluntary Class 3 contributions are £18.40 a week, but your own forecast depends on your record. You can usually fill gaps only for the past 6 tax years, with a 5 April deadline each year. The online forecast is free and is the quickest route; BR19 and the Future Pension Centre are alternatives if you are more than 30 days from State Pension age.
What you need
- You must not already be receiving your State Pension or have deferred claiming it to use the standard online forecast service.
- You need to sign in to the government service; you can create sign-in details if you do not already have them.
- You may be asked to prove your identity, normally using photo ID such as a passport or driving licence.
- To use the postal BR19 forecast form, you must be aged 16 or over and at least 30 days away from State Pension age when the application is considered.
- Before paying voluntary National Insurance, check your National Insurance record, whether free credits are available and whether filling the particular gap will actually increase your forecast.
- Voluntary contributions for past gaps are normally limited to the previous 6 tax years, with a 5 April deadline each year.
Eligibility
You can use the State Pension forecast service before you start receiving State Pension to see your estimated amount, your State Pension age and possible ways to increase your entitlement. For the new State Pension, you normally need at least 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to receive any payment. If your National Insurance record began after April 2016, 35 qualifying years are normally needed for the full new State Pension. If your record began before April 2016, the calculation can be different, particularly if you were contracted out, so having 35 years does not automatically guarantee the full amount. A gap can sometimes be filled by National Insurance credits, future contributions or voluntary contributions, but paying voluntarily is only worthwhile where the additional year improves your individual forecast.
How to do it
- Check your State Pension forecast online. Sign in to see your estimated weekly amount, when you can claim and whether the service identifies ways to increase it.
- Check your State Pension age. Treat the date as the current official date because State Pension age is reviewed periodically.
- Review your National Insurance record. Look for incomplete tax years, credits already recorded and years that count as qualifying years.
- Compare the current forecast with its maximum. The service can show whether further qualifying years could increase your pension.
- Check for National Insurance credits first. If you are entitled to credits for a missing period, you may be able to improve your record without paying voluntary contributions.
- Check whether filling each gap will help. The National Insurance service can show whether voluntary payment would increase your forecast and, where available, how much it would cost.
- Check the payment deadline. You can normally pay only for gaps in the previous 6 tax years, with a 5 April deadline each year.
- Get advice before paying if the position is unclear. If you are below State Pension age, the Future Pension Centre can explain whether filling a gap is likely to increase your State Pension.
- Pay only an identified beneficial gap. Eligible users who are below State Pension age and working in the UK may be able to pay Class 3 contributions directly through the forecast service.
- Check the record again after payment. Online payments through the forecast service can take up to 5 working days to appear; other methods can take up to 8 weeks.
What does your State Pension forecast show?
The official forecast service answers three important questions before retirement:
- how much State Pension you could receive;
- when you can receive it; and
- whether you may be able to increase the amount and how to do so.
The forecast is based on your National Insurance record and assumptions about your future record. It is therefore a planning tool rather than an instruction to pay for every incomplete year.
If you are ready to claim rather than simply checking your future entitlement, use Helpydo's separate guide to claiming your State Pension when you reach State Pension age.
How do you check your forecast online?
Use the government State Pension forecast service and sign in. If you do not already have suitable sign-in details, the service allows you to create them.
You may be asked to prove your identity. GOV.UK says this normally involves photo identification such as a passport or driving licence.
The online service is the quickest way to get a forecast and can also show how you might increase it.
Who cannot use the online State Pension forecast?
You cannot use the standard forecast service if you are already receiving your State Pension or if you have delayed, or deferred, claiming it.
If you are already receiving State Pension or have deferred it, GOV.UK directs UK residents to the Pension Service and people living abroad to the International Pension Centre for information about their pension.
Can you get a forecast without using the online service?
Yes. If you will reach State Pension age in more than 30 days, you can also:
- complete form BR19 and send it by post; or
- contact the Future Pension Centre and ask for a forecast to be posted to you.
The BR19 rules state that you must be aged at least 16 and at least 30 days away from State Pension age when the application is considered.
How do you check your State Pension age?
The State Pension age is the earliest age at which you can start receiving State Pension. It is not necessarily the same age at which you can access a workplace or personal pension.
Use the official State Pension age checker rather than relying on a fixed age quoted elsewhere. The government regularly reviews State Pension age, so the result can change in future.
How much is the full new State Pension in 2026 to 2027?
The full new State Pension rate for 2026 to 2027 is £241.30 a week.
Your own amount can be lower or, in some cases involving protected payments, higher. It depends on your individual National Insurance history, including qualifying years and whether you were contracted out before April 2016.
How many qualifying years do you need?
You normally need at least 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to receive any new State Pension.
A qualifying year can be created through combinations of:
- National Insurance contributions from employment;
- National Insurance credits;
- qualifying self-employment; or
- voluntary National Insurance contributions.
The years do not have to be consecutive.
Do you always need exactly 35 years for the full State Pension?
No. If your National Insurance record started after April 2016, 35 qualifying years are normally required for the full new State Pension.
If your record started before April 2016, the calculation incorporates the transition from the old State Pension system. If you were contracted out before 2016, GOV.UK says you will usually need more than 35 qualifying years to reach the full new State Pension rate.
This is one reason you should use your individual forecast rather than multiplying the number of years on your record by a standard amount.
How do you check for National Insurance gaps?
The government's National Insurance record service shows:
- what you paid up to the start of the current tax year;
- National Insurance credits recorded for you;
- years that are not currently qualifying years;
- whether you could benefit from voluntary contributions;
- how your State Pension forecast could change if you pay; and
- where available, whether you can pay online and the cost.
A year showing as incomplete does not automatically mean you should pay.
Can a gap be filled without paying voluntary contributions?
Sometimes. GOV.UK specifically tells people with gaps to check whether they are eligible for National Insurance credits before paying voluntary contributions.
Credits can arise in a range of circumstances, including some periods when you were unemployed, ill, disabled, caring for someone or responsible for a child, depending on the specific eligibility rules.
If a credit can be added to your record, paying voluntarily for the same period may be unnecessary.
Does paying a missing year always increase your pension?
No. Voluntary contributions do not always increase your State Pension.
This can happen, for example, because of the way pre-2016 entitlement and contracting-out rules affect your calculation, or because additional years would not improve the amount shown by your forecast.
Use the National Insurance record and State Pension forecast services to identify whether a particular payment would actually improve your entitlement before sending money.
How much are voluntary National Insurance contributions?
The standard voluntary Class 3 rate is £18.40 a week for 2026 to 2027.
The amount needed to fill an older year is not always calculated simply at the current weekly rate. GOV.UK states that the original rate can apply when paying Class 3 for the previous 2 tax years, while earlier years are generally paid at the current rate under the published rules.
The online National Insurance record service can show the specific amount required for an eligible gap.
How much can one qualifying year increase your State Pension?
The government states that, based on 2026 to 2027 rates, for someone whose full new State Pension requires 35 qualifying years, an additional qualifying year can add about £358.50 a year to their State Pension once they have met the minimum qualifying period.
This figure is not a guarantee for every person. Transitional rules, contracting-out and your existing forecast can change the effect of an additional year.
How far back can you fill National Insurance gaps?
Under the normal current rule, voluntary contributions can be paid only for the past 6 tax years.
The deadline is 5 April each year. For example, GOV.UK states that a gap for the 2025 to 2026 tax year can normally be paid until 5 April 2032.
The special temporary extension that previously allowed many people to fill much older gaps ended in April 2025, so do not rely on older articles that still describe that concession as available.
Can you pay National Insurance gaps online?
You may be able to pay voluntary Class 3 contributions directly through the State Pension forecast service if you are both:
- below State Pension age; and
- working in the UK.
The service can show whether you would benefit, whether the year can be paid online and how much the payment costs.
The online Class 3 payment route cannot be used in all circumstances. GOV.UK specifically excludes people using that route where they are self-employed or have lived or worked abroad.
How quickly does a voluntary contribution appear on your record?
If you pay through the online State Pension forecast service, HMRC says your National Insurance record and personal tax account can take up to 5 working days to update.
For other payment methods, the update can take up to 8 weeks. Payments from outside the UK may take longer.
After the payment is recorded, check your forecast again rather than assuming the projected pension has changed by a particular amount.
When should you contact the Future Pension Centre?
If you are below State Pension age and are unsure whether filling a National Insurance gap will increase your pension, you can contact the Future Pension Centre.
The current helpline number is 0800 731 0175, with service hours listed by GOV.UK as Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
The Future Pension Centre can also arrange a State Pension forecast by post for eligible people who do not use the online service.
What if your National Insurance record is incorrect?
Do not pay a voluntary contribution merely to correct information that you believe should already be on your record.
GOV.UK says to contact HM Revenue and Customs if you believe your National Insurance record is wrong. First establish whether employment contributions or credits are genuinely missing.
What if you have lived or worked outside the UK?
Periods abroad have separate voluntary National Insurance rules. From 6 April 2026, voluntary Class 2 contributions are no longer available for periods abroad from the 2026 to 2027 tax year onwards; eligible people may instead be able to pay Class 3 contributions.
New applications for Class 3 contributions for periods abroad are subject to changed eligibility conditions from 2026, with transitional arrangements for some existing contributors. Do not use the ordinary domestic online payment route without checking the specific overseas rules.
If you have lived or worked abroad and are close to or above State Pension age, GOV.UK directs you to the International Pension Centre for the appropriate advice.
Can future qualifying years increase your forecast?
Yes. If you have not yet reached State Pension age, your pension may increase through future qualifying years rather than paying to fill an older gap.
GOV.UK lists three main ways of adding qualifying years:
- working and paying or being treated as paying National Insurance;
- receiving National Insurance credits; and
- making voluntary contributions where beneficial.
Each qualifying year added after April 2016 can increase the new State Pension up to the applicable maximum for your record.
Checking a forecast is not the same as claiming your pension
A State Pension forecast does not start your pension. It is a pre-retirement estimate used to understand your future entitlement and identify possible action before reaching State Pension age.
When you reach the appropriate age, the State Pension must normally be claimed; it is not automatically paid simply because you checked a forecast.
What if your expected retirement income is low?
Your State Pension forecast should be considered alongside workplace or personal pensions and other support for which you may qualify.
If you expect to have a low income after reaching the qualifying age, Helpydo has a separate guide to checking and claiming Pension Credit.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Paying every incomplete National Insurance year without checking whether it will improve the forecast.
- Paying for a gap before checking whether you can receive National Insurance credits instead.
- Assuming everyone needs exactly 35 qualifying years for the full new State Pension.
- Ignoring contracting-out history from before April 2016.
- Relying on an old article describing the previous extended deadline for historic voluntary contributions.
- Missing the normal 6-tax-year payment window and annual 5 April deadline.
- Assuming the amount shown in a forecast is the same as formally claiming State Pension.
- Using domestic voluntary-contribution rules without checking the separate rules for periods lived or worked abroad.
What should you do before paying a National Insurance gap?
Start with your official State Pension forecast and National Insurance record. Identify the exact incomplete year, check whether you are entitled to free credits, and confirm that paying the gap would actually increase your pension.
Check the specific cost and the 5 April deadline before paying. If the result is unclear, contact the Future Pension Centre before State Pension age. Only then should you pay an eligible gap, and afterwards check that the contribution has appeared on your National Insurance record and changed the forecast as expected.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check how much State Pension I will get?
Use the official State Pension forecast service. It shows how much you could get, when you can get it and whether you may be able to increase it.
Does it cost anything to check my State Pension forecast?
No. The government online forecast and National Insurance record services are free.
Can I get a State Pension forecast by post?
Yes. If you are aged 16 or over and more than 30 days from State Pension age, you can use form BR19. The Future Pension Centre can also arrange a forecast by post.
Can I check my State Pension forecast if I already receive State Pension?
Not through the standard forecast service. If you already receive State Pension or deferred claiming it, contact the Pension Service or, if appropriate, the International Pension Centre.
How much is the full new State Pension in 2026 to 2027?
The full new State Pension rate for 2026 to 2027 is £241.30 a week, but your individual amount depends on your National Insurance record.
How many National Insurance years do I need to get any new State Pension?
You normally need at least 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to receive any new State Pension.
Do I definitely get the full State Pension with 35 qualifying years?
Not necessarily. If your National Insurance record began before April 2016, transitional and contracting-out rules can mean you need more than 35 years to reach the full rate.
Should I pay every gap shown on my National Insurance record?
No. Voluntary contributions do not always increase State Pension. Check whether the particular payment improves your forecast before paying.
Should I check National Insurance credits before paying a gap?
Yes. GOV.UK advises checking whether you qualify for National Insurance credits first because they may fill a gap without you having to pay.
How much is voluntary Class 3 National Insurance in 2026 to 2027?
The standard Class 3 voluntary rate for 2026 to 2027 is £18.40 a week. The amount payable for an older year can differ under the applicable rate rules.
How far back can I normally pay missing National Insurance contributions?
You can normally pay voluntary contributions only for the past 6 tax years. The deadline is 5 April each year.
What is the deadline for filling a 2025 to 2026 National Insurance gap?
Under the normal current rule, GOV.UK says you have until 5 April 2032 to fill an eligible gap for the 2025 to 2026 tax year.
Can I pay voluntary National Insurance online through my pension forecast?
You may be able to if you are below State Pension age and working in the UK. The service will tell you whether the gap is payable online and whether payment could increase your forecast.
How long does it take a voluntary National Insurance payment to appear?
Payments made online through the State Pension forecast service can take up to 5 working days to update your record. Other methods can take up to 8 weeks.
Who should I contact before paying voluntary National Insurance?
If you are below State Pension age and unsure whether payment would help, contact the Future Pension Centre. If you have reached State Pension age, GOV.UK directs you to the Pension Service instead.
Can an extra qualifying year increase my State Pension?
Yes, where your individual calculation can still increase. Government evidence says that at 2026 to 2027 rates an extra year can add about £358.50 a year for someone whose full pension requires 35 years, but the effect varies by record.
What if my National Insurance record looks wrong?
Contact HMRC rather than paying to fill a year that you believe should already contain contributions or credits.
Are voluntary National Insurance rules different if I lived or worked abroad?
Yes. Separate rules apply, and from 6 April 2026 Class 2 voluntary contributions are no longer available for periods abroad from 2026 to 2027 onwards. Check the current overseas Class 3 rules before paying.
Does checking my State Pension forecast automatically claim my pension?
No. A forecast is only an estimate and planning service. You must follow the separate State Pension claim process when you become eligible.
Official sources
GOV.UK - Check your State Pension forecastGOV.UK - Check your National Insurance recordDepartment for Work and Pensions - Application for a State Pension forecast (BR19)GOV.UK - Check your State Pension ageGOV.UK - Contact the Future Pension CentreGOV.UK - The new State Pension: eligibilityGOV.UK - The new State Pension: what you'll getGOV.UK - How to increase your retirement incomeGOV.UK - Voluntary National Insurance contributionsGOV.UK - Voluntary National Insurance ratesGOV.UK - Voluntary National Insurance payment deadlinesGOV.UK - Pay voluntary Class 3 National InsuranceGOV.UK - Pay voluntary Class 3 National Insurance through the State Pension forecast serviceDepartment for Work and Pensions - Your State Pension explainedHM Revenue & Customs - Voluntary National Insurance contributions abroad from 6 April 2026Related procedures
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