A separate part of retirement income
The State Pension is a government pension linked to your National Insurance record and the applicable rules. The new State Pension and older basic State Pension have different eligibility rules. GOV.UK explains which applies; do not infer your entitlement simply from the number of employers on a private pension list.
Use an official forecast for your own position
The GOV.UK forecast service can show how much you might receive, when and whether it might be increased. It requires government sign-in, and the official page explains identity checks and alternatives. Follow that official route rather than giving a third party your government credentials.
You cannot use that forecast service if you are already receiving your State Pension or have deferred claiming it. The same GOV.UK page directs those situations to the relevant Pension Service. State Pension age is reviewed, so keep the date and conditions of a forecast rather than treating it as a permanent promise.
Keep income and pot figures separate
A State Pension forecast is not a private pension pot balance. If you are organising your paperwork, label the forecast as State Pension income information and keep it separate from dated defined contribution balances. Do the same with any promised defined benefit income.
For example, a forecast expressed as an amount each week cannot be added directly to a cash pot total. They describe different things. All Pensions does not retrieve your National Insurance record, generate a State Pension forecast or support a dedicated State Pension record. Keep your official forecast separately.
A gap is a question to investigate
The forecast and National Insurance record can raise questions about gaps. Do not assume every gap has the same effect or that paying voluntary contributions will always improve your pension. Use the government route for your circumstances before paying anything.
This guide does not calculate eligibility or advise buying qualifying years. No State Pension rate, age or contribution threshold is embedded here. Open the linked official guidance for current rules and individual checking routes.
Sources: GOV.UK: New State Pension eligibilityGOV.UK: Check your State Pension forecastGOV.UK: Check your National Insurance recordGOV.UK: Voluntary National Insurance contributions
Choose the guide for your question
Start with the forecast guide if you want to understand a dated estimate. Use the NI-record guide if the question concerns a contribution year, then the credits guide if you need to find the relevant eligibility guidance. The gaps guide separates record questions from a possible payment decision.
You can use the checklist alongside these guides without entering personal details. It keeps only your selected situation and reminder ticks while the page is open. Actual forecasts, statements and supporting evidence belong in your own secure records; the checklist is not a government record or claim.
When the scheme or circumstances need a closer look
The new/basic scheme guide explains why a headline figure cannot identify an individual entitlement. The abroad guide separates claiming and annual increases from payment arrangements. After a death, the reporting guide and inheritance guide address different tasks.
Choose the page that matches your question and follow its official sources. You can read these without entering dates of birth, family details, banking information or evidence. Individual government and provider decisions remain outside this knowledge hub.
Questions about years, claims and changes
The qualifying-years guide separates NI record labels from a count of jobs. The claim guide explains preparation for the government application; the deferral guide distinguishes arrears, extra payments and benefit questions. The divorce guide keeps named State Pension components separate from private scheme and legal decisions.
Choose the guide for the task in front of you. Each provides checked official sources and a scheduled review date. Reading or completing reminders here does not submit a claim, decide a benefit or implement a court order.
Age, workplace benefits and a useful budget
Use the age guide to separate government and private scheme dates. The workplace comparison guide helps preserve different kinds of figures, and the budget guide explains preparation around your own costs and open questions.
These are ways to organise information, not a personal retirement decision. Keep official forecasts and scheme documents dated, and use the linked guidance when an assumption needs checking.
Sources & review
- GOV.UK: New State Pension eligibilityChecked 2026-10-04
- GOV.UK: Check your State Pension forecastChecked 2026-10-04
- GOV.UK: Check your National Insurance recordChecked 2026-10-04
- GOV.UK: Voluntary National Insurance contributionsChecked 2026-10-04
Next scheduled review: 2027-01-04. Provider details can change sooner. Use the official website for the current contact route.
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