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🇬🇧 United Kingdom · HM Revenue & Customs / Department for Work and Pensions

How to check your State Pension forecast

Short answer

Go to gov.uk/check-state-pension and press Start now. Sign in with Government Gateway (user ID + password) or GOV.UK One Login (email + password), then complete two-factor by text message or voice call. Your State Pension summary loads immediately after sign-in — there is nothing to request and nothing to wait for.

From that summary, follow 'View your National Insurance record' to see your full contribution history year by year: full years, non-full years, and what it would cost to fill any gaps. It's free, and both pages sit behind the same single sign-in. If you've ever lived or worked abroad, be aware the cheap route to filling gaps (Class 2) closed for most people on 6 April 2026 — see the outcome section below before assuming you can buy back years at the old price.

Time
About 5 minutes if you already have a sign-in; add about 10 minutes to register one for the first time
Cost
Free
You need
National Insurance number · Government Gateway or GOV.UK One Login sign-in details (or the ability to create them) · A UK mobile number or landline for the two-factor access code · Photo ID (passport or driving licence) — only if HMRC can't verify you automatically

Below: all 5 steps, and what to do at each point where the login goes wrong — which is the part the official pages leave out.

Open gov.uk ↗
Before you start

Before you start: do you have Government Gateway or a GOV.UK One Login?

Both the State Pension forecast and the National Insurance record sit behind the same sign-in, and HMRC is mid-migration between two systems. If you already have either a Government Gateway account or a GOV.UK One Login, skip to Step 1.

Government Gateway is the older system: a user ID (up to 12 characters) plus a password. Most people who have ever done anything tax-related online — filed Self Assessment, checked a tax code, claimed Marriage Allowance — already have one.

GOV.UK One Login is the newer cross-government system, signed into with an email address and password instead. From 9 February 2026, HMRC began issuing this to individual customers who don't already have a Government Gateway account, rather than a new 12-digit ID. If you already have a Government Gateway account, gov.uk's own guidance is explicit that you do not need to do anything: 'they will continue to use their current Government Gateway ID and will be contacted when it's time for them to switch to GOV.UK One Login.' The rollout is gradual, not a single cutover date.

What we could not verify: whether the check-state-pension service's own sign-in page currently offers GOV.UK One Login outright, or still routes everyone through Government Gateway with One Login handled elsewhere in HMRC's sign-in chooser. The gov.uk check-state-pension guidance page still reads 'you'll need to prove your identity using Government Gateway,' with no explicit One Login mention on that specific page as of this check. Expect this to keep shifting through 2026.

No genuine screenshot of the GOV.UK One Login registration screen could be sourced for this guide — it's omitted rather than guessed at. The rest of the flow below (two-factor code, then the forecast) is the same regardless of which system you're on.

If it doesn't look like this

I don't know if I have a Government Gateway account

Try signing in first — most people who've done any UK tax admin online already have one. If sign-in fails, use 'Create sign in details' on the sign-in screen rather than assuming you need a new account; a forgotten user ID is recoverable, a genuinely new account is not always necessary.

I live outside the UK — can I still register?

Yes. Neither Government Gateway nor GOV.UK One Login require a UK address to create. The harder problem for people abroad is usually the identity-verification step if HMRC can't match you against UK data it already holds (a recent payslip, tax return, or P60) — in that case you may be pushed toward photo ID verification (passport or driving licence) instead of an automatic match.

1under a minute

Go to gov.uk/check-state-pension and press Start now

The page explains what the service does — how much State Pension you could get, when you can get it, how to increase it if you can — and states plainly you cannot use it if you're already claiming or have deferred your State Pension. The button you want is at the bottom.

If it doesn't look like this

The page says I can't use this service

That message is shown to people already receiving their State Pension, or who have deferred claiming it. If that's you, your existing State Pension payment account (or the Pension Service directly) is the right place, not this forecasting tool.

2under a minute

Sign in with your Government Gateway ID

Enter your Government Gateway user ID and password, then press Sign in. If you don't have an account, use 'Create sign in details' underneath rather than guessing at credentials.

If it doesn't look like this

I only have a GOV.UK One Login, not a Government Gateway ID

If HMRC has migrated your account, or you registered fresh after 9 February 2026, you'll see a One Login screen (email address + password) instead of the one shown here. We could not source a genuine screenshot of that specific screen for this guide — the field labels are the only difference; the rest of the flow (two-factor code, then the forecast) is the same.

I've forgotten my Government Gateway password or user ID

Use the recovery links on the sign-in screen. Both are tied to the email address the account was registered with — if you no longer control that inbox, self-service recovery is closed and you'll need to contact HMRC directly.

3seconds

Choose how to get your access code

Government Gateway needs a second factor. You're asked 'How do you want to get an access code?' — pick text message or voice call to the number shown, then press Continue.

If it doesn't look like this

Neither option is a number I can still access

Use 'Cannot use any of these options? You can get help' on the same screen — this routes to HMRC's account recovery support rather than leaving you stuck with two dead-end choices.

4under a minute

Enter the access code

A 6-digit code arrives by whichever method you chose. Gov.uk's own copy warns it may take a few minutes. Type it into the Access code field and press Continue.

If it doesn't look like this

No code arrives

Wait a few minutes before requesting another — gov.uk's own guidance names delivery delays as normal. If it still doesn't arrive, use 'Try another option' to switch delivery method rather than repeatedly requesting the same one.

5seconds

Read your State Pension summary

You land on Your State Pension summary immediately — no request button, no queue. A green panel states the date you can get your State Pension and your forecast in weekly, monthly and yearly terms.

Underneath the headline figure, gov.uk states directly that 'your forecast is not a guarantee and is based on current law' and 'does not include any increase due to inflation.' The page also tells you whether you've already reached the maximum you can get, or whether continuing to pay National Insurance would still raise it — with a specific number of years and a specific date by which you'd need to pay them.

If it doesn't look like this

My forecast looks lower than I expected

The forecast is frozen in today's money and assumes current rules — it is explicitly not adjusted for inflation or future policy change, so don't compare it directly to today's full State Pension rate without first checking your qualifying years on the National Insurance record (Step 6).

It mentions I was 'contracted out'

Most people who worked for an employer with a final-salary or similar workplace pension before April 2016 were contracted out of the additional State Pension for those years, in exchange for a reduced National Insurance rate — the saving went into the private scheme instead. It typically lowers this forecast relative to someone never contracted out. This shows on the summary page itself when it applies to you; it isn't an error.

6

Open your National Insurance record

The forecast page links to 'View your National Insurance record' — a separate page, same login, with no further sign-in. This is the year-by-year detail: how many years of full contributions you have, how many years you could still contribute, and how many years didn't count, each with a 'View details' link.

Both pages are live, on-screen output — there is nothing to wait for and nothing that arrives later. If you want a saved copy, print the page to PDF from your browser; gov.uk does not offer a separate download or 'email me a copy' button on either page.

If your record shows gaps, you may be able to pay voluntary contributions to fill them. Class 3 (the standard rate) costs £18.40 a week for 2026/27 — £956.80 to buy back a full year. Class 2 (the cheaper self-employed/abroad rate) costs £3.65 a week — £189.80 for a full year, roughly a fifth of the price. The standard rule is a rolling 6-year window: in 2026/27 you can still fill gaps back to 2020/21. A temporary extension had let people fill gaps all the way back to April 2006, but that closed on 5 April 2025 and will not reopen.

The change that matters most for anyone who has ever lived or worked outside the UK: from the 2026/27 tax year, you can no longer pay voluntary Class 2 contributions for time spent abroad at all. Only Class 3 remains available for those years, at roughly five times the price, and the eligibility bar for using it rose from 3 years of UK residency or contributions to 10 years. A transitional door — apply for 2024/25 or 2025/26 on or before 5 April 2026, with payment due by 5 April 2027, to keep the old 3-year threshold — is now closed.

Apply for voluntary contributions covering time abroad, or check where you stand under the new rules, via the CF83 online service. You'll need your National Insurance number, UK and non-UK addresses, employment history before and during your time abroad, and photo ID (UK passport, driving licence, biometric residence permit, or non-UK biometric passport). If you're within 6 months of State Pension age, you can't apply online — contact the International Pension Centre instead.

Can't verify your identity online at all? Request a paper forecast on form BR19 instead: download it from gov.uk, fill it in with a PDF reader (not a mobile browser — it's a 4-page fillable form), and post it to the Department for Work and Pensions. You qualify if you're 16 or over and at least 30 days from State Pension age. Or call the Future Pension Centre on 0800 731 0175 and ask for a forecast to be posted to you.

If you've ever lived or worked abroad and think you have gaps to fill, read the Class 2/Class 3 detail above before assuming you can buy back years at the old, cheaper price — the rules changed hard on 6 April 2026 and the transitional window to use the old rules has already closed.

If it doesn't look like this

A year shows as 'not available yet'

The record only firms up after the tax year closes and HMRC processes it — the most recent one or two years commonly show as pending rather than full or not-full.

A year I know I worked shows as not full

This can be a genuine underpayment (common around job changes, or self-employment years where Class 2 wasn't correctly recorded), or a legitimate gap (unemployment, low earnings, time abroad, caring). Check the year's 'View details' first; if contributions you believe you made are missing, that's a query for HMRC's National Insurance helpline, not something the online record can self-correct.

I'm employed, not self-employed — can I get the cheap Class 2 rate?

No, not domestically. Ordinarily Class 2 is available to the self-employed (and a short list of specific roles: examiners, some landlords, ministers of religion without a salary, certain investors) and — until the 2026 rule change — to people filling gaps from time abroad. Everyone else pays Class 3.

What exact income threshold decides Class 2 vs Class 3 for the self-employed?

We could not independently verify a precise current figure from a primary source strongly enough to state one here with confidence — the Small Profits Threshold changes yearly and our sources disagreed on the current number. Use gov.uk's own National Insurance contributions checker, or your forecast page directly (it tells you which years and which class apply to you personally), rather than relying on a figure in this guide.

I already applied under the old abroad rules before 5 April 2026 — does the deadline still apply to me?

The transitional rules let you apply for 2024/25 or 2025/26 on or before 5 April 2026, with payment due by 5 April 2027, and a further window to apply for 2026/27 itself on or before 5 April 2027. If you applied in time, the old 3-year eligibility threshold and Class 2 pricing should still apply to that application — HMRC will confirm dates and amounts by letter, or ask for more information if anything's missing.

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Questions people actually ask

How long does it take to get my State Pension forecast?

It's immediate. There's no request-and-wait step like some other government services — sign in, and the forecast is on screen. The only slower route is the paper BR19 form or a phone request through the Future Pension Centre, both aimed at people who can't or don't want to use the online service.

Is checking my State Pension forecast free?

Yes, in every form — online, by BR19 post, or by phone.

Do I need a verified Government Gateway account, or is a basic one enough?

The service doesn't operate on Ireland-style basic-vs-verified tiers. You sign in with whatever Government Gateway or GOV.UK One Login credentials you have; if HMRC can't match enough about you automatically, you're asked to prove identity with photo ID (passport or driving licence) at that point, not before.

What's the difference between the State Pension forecast and the National Insurance record?

The forecast is the answer — an estimated weekly/monthly/annual amount and the date you can claim it. The National Insurance record is the working: the year-by-year list of what counted, what didn't, and what it would cost to fix. They're two pages behind the same login, reached from the same account, not two separate services.

Can I check my UK State Pension forecast from abroad?

Yes — there's no UK-residency requirement to use gov.uk/check-state-pension itself. The complication for people abroad isn't checking the forecast; it's what you can do about gaps you find, since the rules for paying voluntary contributions for time spent abroad tightened sharply from 6 April 2026.

How many qualifying years do I need for a full UK State Pension?

You generally need 35 qualifying years for the full new State Pension, and a minimum of 10 qualifying years to get anything at all. These are the standard figures cited across gov.uk-derived guidance; your own forecast page will show your personal number based on your record and remaining working years, which is the one to trust over any generic figure.

What is Class 2 vs Class 3 National Insurance, and which do I pay?

Class 3 is the standard voluntary rate (£18.40/week, £956.80/year for 2026/27) open to almost anyone with a gap. Class 2 is a cheaper rate (£3.65/week, £189.80/year for 2026/27) historically available to the self-employed and — until the 2026 rule change closed it — to people filling gaps for time spent abroad. Which one applies to you, and for which years, is shown directly on your National Insurance record online; it is not a general election you make yourself.

I've heard about a deadline to buy back old National Insurance years — has it passed?

Two separate deadlines, both now closed. The temporary extension letting anyone fill gaps back to April 2006 (rather than the standard 6 years) closed on 5 April 2025. Separately, and specifically for time spent abroad, the transitional window that preserved the old cheaper 3-year-residency, Class-2-eligible rules closed on 5 April 2026. From here on, the standard 6-year rolling window applies to domestic gaps, and the stricter 10-year, Class-3-only rules apply to gaps from time abroad.

What if I can't verify my identity online?

Use form BR19 (download from gov.uk, fill in with a PDF reader, post to the Department for Work and Pensions), or call the Future Pension Centre on 0800 731 0175 and ask for a forecast by post. Both are free.

Does the forecast account for inflation or future policy changes?

No. Gov.uk states this directly on the summary page: the forecast is in today's prices, assumes current law, and is not a guarantee.

What does 'contracted out' mean on my summary?

It means that for some part of your working life, you (or your employer, on your behalf) paid into a workplace pension scheme instead of the additional State Pension, in exchange for a reduced National Insurance rate. It typically lowers your State Pension forecast relative to someone who was never contracted out, because that portion of retirement saving sits in the private scheme instead. It's disclosed on the summary page itself when it applies to you.

Official sources

Last checked against the live portal on . Government portals get redesigned without notice — if a screen here no longer matches what you see, trust the portal, not us. This guide is independent and is not affiliated with the HM Revenue & Customs / Department for Work and Pensions.