How to Check Your State Pension Forecast in 2026 (and What to Do About Gaps)
Your State Pension forecast tells you exactly how much you're on track to receive and whether you have gaps in your National Insurance record. Here's how to check it, understand it, and decide whether filling gaps is worth it.
Why Checking Your Forecast Matters
The State Pension is not automatic or guaranteed at a flat rate for everyone — it's built up through qualifying years of National Insurance contributions or credits, and gaps (from periods of low income, self-employment below thresholds, time abroad, or certain career breaks) can reduce what you eventually receive. Checking your forecast well before State Pension age gives you time to identify and potentially fill gaps.
How to Check Your Forecast
| Method | Detail |
|---|---|
| Online (fastest) | "Check your State Pension forecast" service via gov.uk, using Government Gateway login |
| By post | Form BR19, for those who prefer not to use the online service — considerably slower |
| Via the HMRC app | Some forecast information is also accessible through the HMRC app for those with an account set up |
The online forecast shows:
- Your forecast weekly/annual State Pension amount, based on your record so far and assuming continued contributions until State Pension age
- Your State Pension age
- A year-by-year breakdown of your National Insurance record, flagging which years are "full" (qualifying) and which have gaps
- Whether any gaps can still be filled voluntarily, and the cost to do so
The 35-Year Rule
| Qualifying years | State Pension outcome |
|---|---|
| Under 10 | Generally £0 — no State Pension entitlement |
| 10 – 34 | Proportional amount — roughly 1/35th of the full pension per qualifying year |
| 35 or more | Full new State Pension — £241.30/week (£12,547.60/year) for 2026/27 |
Example: someone with 28 qualifying years would receive approximately 28/35 of the full pension — roughly £193.04/week (£10,038.08/year) — rather than the full £241.30/week.
What Counts as a Qualifying Year
A qualifying year requires sufficient National Insurance contributions or credits, which can come from several sources:
| Source | How it counts |
|---|---|
| Employment (Class 1 NI) | Paid automatically via payroll if earnings exceed the relevant threshold |
| Self-employment (Class 4/voluntary Class 2) | Contributions or credits based on profit levels |
| National Insurance credits — Child Benefit | Automatically credited for a parent/carer claiming Child Benefit for a child under 12, even if not working |
| National Insurance credits — certain benefits | For example, some periods of unemployment or incapacity-related benefits |
| National Insurance credits — caring responsibilities | Certain carer's credit provisions for those providing substantial unpaid care |
Not every year with some income is automatically "full" — check the specific record on your forecast rather than assuming a working year automatically counts, particularly for years with low self-employment profits or part-time work below the relevant thresholds.
Filling Gaps With Voluntary Contributions
For gaps that would otherwise reduce your eventual pension, paying voluntary Class 3 National Insurance contributions can convert a gap year into a qualifying year.
| Item | 2026/27 figure |
|---|---|
| Voluntary Class 3 weekly rate | £18.40/week |
| Approximate cost for a full year | ~£957 |
| Value added to annual State Pension (roughly 1/35th of full pension) | ~£358/year, for life once claimed |
Simple payback calculation: paying roughly £957 to fill one gap year adds approximately £358/year to your pension once you start claiming — meaning the cost is typically recovered within under 3 years of receiving the pension, and every year drawn beyond that is additional value. For most people who expect to live a reasonable number of years past State Pension age, this makes filling genuine gaps a strong value proposition, though individual circumstances (health, other pension provision, whether you'll naturally reach 35 years anyway through continued work) should be factored in before paying.
The Time Limit on Filling Gaps
Normally, voluntary contributions can only be made for gaps within the past 6 tax years. However, extended transitional arrangements have periodically been offered (specifically covering gaps between April 2006 and April 2016, linked to the 2016 State Pension reforms), allowing people to fill much older gaps than the normal 6-year window — these extended deadlines have been pushed back more than once, so check the current, live deadline directly via official government guidance before assuming an older gap is or isn't still fillable, as the position may have changed since any older information you've previously seen.
Before Paying to Fill a Gap: Check First
- Confirm the gap actually reduces your forecast. If you already have — or are on track to naturally reach — 35 qualifying years through continued work before State Pension age, filling an additional gap year may add nothing, since you can't exceed the full pension amount.
- Check whether you're eligible for free credits instead. Some gaps can be filled retrospectively with free NI credits (for example, if you were entitled to Child Benefit but didn't claim it, or missed claiming a relevant credit) rather than needing to pay voluntary contributions at all.
- Use the forecast service's own guidance, which typically flags specifically which gap years are worth filling for your individual forecast, rather than assuming every gap year should be paid for.
Frequently asked questions
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