Will you get £13,000 a year when you stop working? Here's how to check

Image source, Getty ImagesByKevin PeacheyCost of living correspondentPublished4 hours agoIt may well be decades away, but do you know how much money you will get when you stop working?

Yet one in eight people surveyed by the UK tax authority have never checked how much money they are forecast to receive.

If you're working, it is highly likely you're contributing to the state pension - paid by the government when you hit pension age in your late 60s.

the flat-rate state pension - for those who reached state pension age after April 2016 - is £241.30 a week (£12,547.60 a year)

the old basic state pension - for those who reached state pension age before April 2016 - is £184.90 a week (£9,614.80 a year)

Many people on the old basic state pension may receive a top-up called the additional state pension.

Most pensioners have other income, primarily from pension savings built up over their career.

The state pension goes up each year in line with the highest of either inflation, wage increases, or 2.5%. So next April, the flat-rate state pension is expected to go above £13,000.

Workers pay National Insurance (NI) contributions. In general, you need 35 years of qualifying contributions to get a full state pension.

You may have gaps in your NI record if, for example, you have lived abroad. If you've taken time away from work to care for children or family members, then you get NI credits if you receive child benefit or carer's allowance.

It's possible to boost your contribution history with voluntary payments. Since April 2025, you have only been able to make payments for the previous six years.

That's one reason why it is important to check your state pension forecast well before you retire, experts say.