You need 35 qualifying years of National Insurance to get the full new State Pension, which is £241.30 a week in 2026/27. You need at least 10 qualifying years to get any new State Pension at all. Between those two points, the law pays one thirty-fifth of the full rate for each qualifying year, which is about £6.89 a week per year at 2026/27 rates. If you paid National Insurance before April 2016, especially if you were contracted out, the number you need can be more or less than 35. This guide explains why, what counts as a qualifying year and how to check your own position.
Where the 35 and 10 come from
The rules are in the Pensions Act 2014. Section 2 says a person who has reached pensionable age gets the state pension at the full rate if they have 35 or more qualifying years. With fewer than 35 years but at least the minimum, they get a reduced rate. The State Pension Regulations 2015 set that minimum at ten years. Section 3 sets the reduced rate as 1/35 of the full rate multiplied by your number of qualifying years.
The new State Pension applies to men born on or after 6 April 1951 and women born on or after 6 April 1953. Anyone older is on the basic State Pension, which has different rules.
| Qualifying years (record started after 5 April 2016) | Weekly new State Pension, 2026/27 |
|---|---|
| Fewer than 10 | Nil (unless overseas years help, see below) |
| 10 | £68.94 |
| 20 | £137.89 |
| 30 | £206.83 |
| 35 or more | £241.30 |
The figures in the table are our arithmetic from the s3 formula. They apply as shown only where your whole record falls after 5 April 2016. Most people now approaching State Pension age have an older record, covered next.
If you paid National Insurance before April 2016
If you had qualifying years at 5 April 2016, DWP worked out a starting amount for you. It is the higher of the pension you had built up under the old system and the amount you would have had if the new system had always applied. Both calculations reflect any time you were contracted out, when you or your employer paid lower National Insurance in return for a bigger workplace or personal pension.
- Starting amount below the full rate. Each qualifying year after 5 April 2016 adds 1/35 of the full rate until you reach the full rate or State Pension age. Gov.uk says that if you were contracted out you will usually need more than 35 qualifying years to reach the full rate;
- Starting amount at the full rate. Extra years do not increase your new State Pension;
- Starting amount above the full rate. You get the full rate plus a "protected payment" for the excess, and extra years add nothing.
So "35 years" is exact only for people whose record began after April 2016. For everyone else, the answer is in their State Pension forecast.
What counts as a qualifying year
A qualifying year is a tax year in which you:
- Paid National Insurance as an employee. Earnings from £129 to £242 a week from one job in 2026/27 count even though no contributions are deducted, because contributions are treated as paid;
- Were self-employed. Profits of £7,105 or more in 2026/27 protect your record without you paying Class 2;
- Got National Insurance credits. Credits come with, for example, Universal Credit, Carer's Allowance, Jobseeker's Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance, or being registered for Child Benefit for a child under 12;
- Paid voluntary contributions. Class 3 costs £18.40 a week in 2026/27, and certain self-employed people can pay Class 2 at £3.65 a week.
A year with too few contributions or credits is a gap. Gaps are common in years spent abroad, in low-paid work below £129 a week, or in self-employment with profits below £7,105.
Worked example
Mark is 52 and self-employed. His forecast shows a starting amount worth £170 a week at 2026/27 rates, and he has added ten qualifying years since April 2016. Each of those years adds £6.89 a week at the 2026/27 rate, so his forecast so far is about £170 + 10 × £6.89 = £238.90 a week. One more qualifying year takes him to the full £241.30, which is the cap. Any years after that add nothing to his new State Pension.
The lesson is that Mark does not need 35 years in total. He needs one more, which his self-employment will provide, so paying to fill an earlier gap would be wasted money. This is why you should check the forecast before paying voluntary contributions. (Figures are illustrative; the State Pension rate is uprated each year.)
Ten years: the minimum, and help from overseas
With fewer than 10 UK qualifying years you get no new State Pension. Time paying contributions in the EEA, Switzerland or a country with a UK social security agreement can count towards the 10-year minimum. The amount you are paid is still based only on your UK qualifying years. Gov.uk's example is a person with 7 UK years and 16 years in an EEA country. They qualify, but they are paid on the 7 years.
How to check and fill your record
- Get your forecast. The Check your State Pension forecast service shows how much you could get, when, and whether you can increase it. It is not available once you have claimed or deferred;
- Check your National Insurance record. It shows your gaps and what it would cost to fill each one;
- Look for credits first. Credits are free, and some must be applied for;
- Pay voluntary contributions if they help. You can normally fill gaps for the past 6 tax years, with a 5 April deadline each year. For 2025/26, the deadline is 5 April 2032.
Our voluntary National Insurance guide sets out the cost and payback of buying a year. Our UK pension age guide covers when you can claim.
Sources: Pensions Act 2014, s2 and s3; State Pension Regulations 2015, reg 13; GOV.UK: The new State Pension; GOV.UK: Your State Pension explained; DWP: Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027; GOV.UK: Voluntary National Insurance; GOV.UK: National Insurance credits; GOV.UK: National Insurance.
If you are self-employed or a company director and your National Insurance record has gaps, our self assessment and tax planning teams can review your record alongside your pay and profits.