The number of qualifying years you need for the full State Pension depends on your date of birth. The State Pension age is also rising, meaning you will need to work for longer to get any State Pension. Here’s what you need to know about getting the full State Pension amount.
State Pension Age
The State Pension age is regularly reviewed and is gradually increasing for both men and women:
| Date of Birth | State Pension Age |
| 6 April 1960 – 5 March 1961 | 66 years |
| 6 March 1961 – 5 April 1977 | 67 years |
| After 5 April 1977 | 68 years |
So the State Pension age is not fixed anymore – it depends on your date of birth. You need to reach your personal State Pension age to start receiving your State Pension.
Qualifying Years
The minimum number of qualifying years needed for any State Pension is 10 years.
However, to get the full new State Pension you will need:
– 35 qualifying years if you reach State Pension age before 6 April 2016
– 35 qualifying years if you reach State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016
The new State Pension was introduced for people reaching State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016. The full amount is currently £185.15 per week (in 2022/23).
If you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, you will be getting the old State Pension. The full amount for this is currently £141.85 per week (in 2022/23).
So whether you are on the old or new State Pension, having at least 35 qualifying years is needed to get the maximum amount.
What Counts as a Qualifying Year?
You can get qualifying years from:
– Working and paying National Insurance contributions
– Claiming National Insurance credits for example when unemployed, sick or a parent/carer
– Paying voluntary National Insurance contributions
Each tax year where you gain a qualifying year, you get an extra 1/35 of the State Pension.
NI Contributions from Work
When you’re working you pay National Insurance and get a qualifying year if you earn over a certain amount.
In the 2022/23 tax year, you need earnings of:
– £6,240 or more for a qualifying year on the old State Pension
– £6,396 or more for a qualifying year on the new State Pension
NI Credits
You may be able to get NI credits if you cannot work, for example if:
– You are unemployed, sick or disabled
– On maternity, paternity or adoption leave
– Caring for children under 12
Carers can also apply for NI carers credits subject to meeting certain eligibility criteria.
Voluntary Contributions
If you have gaps in your NI record, you can make voluntary NI contributions to buy extra qualifying years. You can normally only buy back 6 years.
Fewer Than 35 Qualifying Years
If you have less than the full 35 qualifying years, you will get a proportion of the full State Pension.
Each qualifying year gives you 1/35 of the total. For example, with 30 years you would get 30/35 (roughly 86%) of the full amount.
Gaps in your NI record will reduce how much State Pension you can get.
No Qualifying Years
You need at least 10 qualifying years on your NI record to get any State Pension.
If you have less than 10 years, you will not qualify for the State Pension. The only exception is if you lived or worked abroad in a country with a social security agreement with the UK.
Check Your State Pension
You can check your State Pension forecast on the Gov.uk website. This will tell you:
– Your projected State Pension age
– Estimated annual State Pension amount
– Number of qualifying years on your NI record so far
Checking your State Pension forecast helps you understand if you are on track for the full State Pension or need to take steps to boost your qualifying years.
Increase Qualifying Years
If your forecast shows you are short of qualifying years there are some options:
Carry on Working
Remaining in paid work is the simplest way to increase your qualifying years. Each additional year you work and pay NI will give you another qualifying year.
Voluntary Contributions
As mentioned earlier you can pay voluntary Class 3 NI contributions for previous years where you had gaps. This allows you to buy up to 6 extra qualifying years.
Check Your Record
It’s also worth checking your NI record carefully. If any of your previous employers failed to pay NI when they should have done, you can request this is corrected and your qualifying years updated.
Mistakes and gaps in your record can reduce your State Pension, so it’s important to identify any problems and get them fixed.
Claim NI Credits
If you have been unemployed, sick or a carer during your working life, see if you are eligible for NI credits for these periods – as these count as qualifying years.
For example if you were unemployed between 1995 to 1997, ask about getting NI credits for those 3 tax years to improve your State Pension position.
Defer Your State Pension
Once you reach State Pension age you can temporarily defer taking your State Pension. Your State Pension will then increase by a certain amount for each year you defer – this can help make up for having less than 35 qualifying years.
Conclusion
You need 35 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to get the full State Pension. A qualifying year is gained for each tax year you have sufficient National Insurance contributions from work or credits.
With less than 35 years, your State Pension amount is reduced accordingly. If you have fewer than 10 qualifying years you currently get no State Pension at all.
It’s important to check your State Pension forecast online and understand if you will get the full amount. If not, your options are paying voluntary NI contributions, claiming NI credits or deferring your State Pension to increase your payments. Taking action while you are still working gives you most chance of improving your State Pension position.