United Kingdom
Worked in United Kingdom? Any pension you built up here is yours to keep and can usually be paid to you abroad — but you have to claim it; it won't start automatically. The full state pension age is 66. On totalization, United Kingdom has bilateral totalization agreements, so the years you worked here may combine with other countries you've worked in. Below is United Kingdom's system at a glance and what expats should check.
Overview and “Get your statement” are open to everyone. Create a free account to unlock schemes, eligibility, tax and claiming for all 47 countries.
Free guide: How to get your United Kingdom pension statement — the official route, step by step.
Curious what a report looks like? See a sample for United Kingdom — invented person, real institutions.
Free tool: UK NI Top-Up Calculator — Is buying back missed UK National Insurance years worth it? Usually spectacularly. Check your numbers.
Overview
The United Kingdom operates a multi-pillar pension system combining a flat-rate mandatory State Pension (Pillar 1) with quasi-mandatory workplace pensions under auto-enrolment (Pillar 2) and voluntary personal pensions (Pillar 3). The New State Pension, introduced on 6 April 2016, replaced the previous Basic State Pension and Additional State Pension (SERPS/S2P) for those reaching State Pension age from that date. It is funded through National Insurance (NI) contributions and provides a flat-rate weekly payment — £241.30 per week (£12,547.60/year) for 2026/27, a 4.8% increase driven by average earnings growth under the triple lock — to those with 35 qualifying NI years. A minimum of 10 qualifying years is required for any entitlement. The State Pension age is currently transitioning from 66 to 67 in a phased increase between May 2026 and April 2028 (affecting those born on or after 6 April 1960), with a further legislated rise to 68 between 2044–2046. A third government review of the State Pension age timetable was launched in July 2025, with its final report expected to shape policy later in the 2020s.
Show full overviewShow less
Workplace pensions are governed by auto-enrolment legislation introduced in 2012, requiring employers to automatically enrol eligible employees (aged 22–State Pension age, earning over £10,000/year) into a qualifying pension scheme. Minimum total contributions are 8% of qualifying earnings (between £6,240 and £50,270 for 2026/27), split as at least 3% from the employer and 5% from the employee (including tax relief). These rates have been unchanged since April 2019. The Second Pensions Commission (established July 2025) published an interim report in May 2026 confirming that approximately 15 million working-age people are undersaving for retirement; its final report, due in early 2027, is expected to recommend raising minimum contributions from 8% to 12%. Defined Contribution (DC) schemes now dominate the workplace pension landscape, with Defined Benefit (DB) schemes largely closed to new entrants in the private sector.
Private pensions, including Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), offer the widest investment flexibility and are accessible from age 55 (rising to 57 from April 2028). Up to 25% of a pension pot can be taken as a tax-free Pension Commencement Lump Sum (PCLS), capped at £268,275 across all pensions (the Lump Sum Allowance, introduced when the Lifetime Allowance was abolished in April 2024). A major forthcoming change: from 6 April 2027, most unspent DC pension pots will be brought into the deceased's estate for Inheritance Tax (IHT) purposes at 40% above nil-rate bands — reversing a long-standing IHT exemption. From 6 April 2026, voluntary Class 2 NI contributions for periods abroad were abolished; only Class 3 (£18.40/week in 2026/27) is now available for overseas residents, with tightened eligibility requiring 10 years of UK residence or NI contributions for new applicants.
~28% (State Pension only, average earner); ~52% including mandatory workplace pensions (OECD Pensions at a Glance 2025); net replacement rate ~54.4% from mandatory schemes (below OECD average of 63%)
Pillar 1: New State Pension (flat-rate, NI-contribution-based, mandatory public scheme); Pillar 2: Occupational/workplace pensions — Defined Benefit (DB, largely closed to new entrants) and Defined Contribution (DC) under auto-enrolment; Pillar 3: Personal pensions (SIPPs, stakeholder pensions, annuities, Lifetime ISAs)
Beveridge-influenced multi-pillar system: flat-rate contributory State Pension (Pillar 1), quasi-mandatory auto-enrolled workplace pensions (Pillar 2), and voluntary personal pensions/SIPPs (Pillar 3)
Employee
8% (Class 1 NI on earnings £12,571–£50,270; 2% above £50,270) for State Pension purposes. For auto-enrolment workplace pension: minimum 5% of qualifying earnings (including tax relief)
Employer
15% (Class 1 NI on earnings above £5,000) for State Pension purposes, unchanged from 2025/26. For auto-enrolment workplace pension: minimum 3% of qualifying earnings
Self-Employed
Class 4 NI: 6% on profits £12,570–£50,270; 2% above £50,270. Compulsory Class 2 abolished from April 2024; voluntary Class 2 at £3.65/week (2026/27) still available for self-employed below Small Profits Threshold (£7,105 in 2026/27) who wish to protect State Pension record
Notes
Employer NI rate 15% and secondary threshold £5,000 are unchanged from 2025/26 (when the rate rose from 13.8% and threshold fell from £9,100). Auto-enrolment thresholds maintained for 2026/27: earnings trigger £10,000; lower earnings limit £6,240; upper earnings limit £50,270. Total minimum contribution remains 8% (3% employer + 5% employee including tax relief), unchanged since April 2019. The Second Pensions Commission is expected to recommend raising minimum contributions to 12% in its final report (due early 2027). Voluntary Class 3 NI for overseas residents: £18.40/week (£956.80/year) for 2026/27, up from £17.75/week (£923/year) in 2025/26. From 6 April 2026, voluntary Class 2 NI for periods abroad is abolished; only Class 3 available for overseas residents, with tightened eligibility (10 years UK residence or NI contributions required for new applicants).
Common questions
What is the retirement age in United Kingdom?
The full state pension age in United Kingdom is 66.
Can I claim a United Kingdom pension if I live abroad?
Yes. A pension you've earned in United Kingdom stays yours wherever you retire, and can usually be paid into an overseas account once you reach pension age. It won't start automatically, though — you need to claim it, typically a few months in advance, through United Kingdom's pension authority.
Do totalization agreements affect my United Kingdom pension?
United Kingdom has bilateral social-security (totalization) agreements. These can let you combine the years you worked in United Kingdom with years in partner countries to meet a minimum qualifying period, so short stints aren't wasted. Which partners and rules apply depends on your own work history.
How is the pension system structured in United Kingdom?
Beveridge-influenced multi-pillar system: flat-rate contributory State Pension (Pillar 1), quasi-mandatory auto-enrolled workplace pensions (Pillar 2), and voluntary personal pensions/SIPPs (Pillar 3) Pillar 1: New State Pension (flat-rate, NI-contribution-based, mandatory public scheme); Pillar 2: Occupational/workplace pensions — Defined Benefit (DB, largely closed to new entrants) and Defined Contribution (DC) under auto-enrolment; Pillar 3: Personal pensions (SIPPs, stakeholder pensions, annuities, Lifetime ISAs) It includes 5 schemes in our directory.
How do I get a copy of my United Kingdom pension record?
Ask GOV.UK — Check your State Pension forecast for your State Pension forecast (the State Pension forecast (and National Insurance record)). It's free and you can request it yourself — our step-by-step guide on this page walks through the portal, what to have ready, and what to do if the login fails.