What the forecast shows

  • Estimate based on your record so far – what you would get if you made no more contributions.
  • Forecast – what you could get if you keep contributing until State Pension age. It is capped at the full new State Pension (£241.30 a week in 2026/27) unless you have a protected payment.
  • Whether you can improve it – if future years already take you to the maximum, paying for past gaps may add nothing.

What the NI record shows

Each tax year is listed as a full year or a year that is not full. For years that are not full, the service may show the amount you can pay and the deadline. A year that is not full can still be useless to buy if you will reach the maximum anyway, which is why the forecast comes first.

Worked example

Alex is 52. The forecast says: £180.20 a week based on the record so far; forecast £241.30 if contributions continue to State Pension age. Two years from the 2010s are shown as not full, with a price for each. Because Alex has 15 working years left and already reaches the full rate in the forecast, buying those years is unlikely to increase the pension unless Alex expects to stop work early. If Alex plans to retire at 60, the calculation changes and is worth asking the Future Pension Centre about.

Common mistakes

  • Looking only at the NI record and buying every gap year.
  • Ignoring that the forecast already assumes future contributions.
  • Assuming a price shown for a year is proof that paying will help.
  • Missing credits that could fill a gap for free.

Checklist

  1. Sign in to GOV.UK Check your State Pension forecast
  2. Note the amount earned so far, the forecast and whether you can improve it
  3. Open Check your National Insurance record and list years that are not full
  4. Check whether NI credits could fill any of those years
  5. Ask the Future Pension Centre whether paying a specific year will increase your pension
  6. Pay HMRC only for years confirmed to help, before the deadline

Frequently asked questions

Where can I check my State Pension forecast?

On GOV.UK's Check your State Pension forecast service. You can also ask the Future Pension Centre by phone or post.

What does 'not a full year' mean?

Your contributions and credits for that tax year were not enough for a qualifying year. It does not automatically mean that paying for the year will increase your pension.

Does the forecast assume I keep working?

Yes. The forecast assumes you continue to contribute until State Pension age, which is why future years may fill the remaining gap.

Sources

Figures are for the 2026/27 tax year and were checked against GOV.UK on 31 October 2026.

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