Planning your pensions carefully
Your State Pension will be a key source of retirement income, along with any other pensions you have, including what you’ve left with USS. Here are a few things worth knowing about it:
Will you get a State Pension?
You will get a State Pension if you have at least 10 qualifying years’ worth of National Insurance contributions or credits. However, to get the full State Pension, you’ll usually need 35 years of National Insurance contributions or credits.
What will you get?
The State Pension usually changes each year, rising with inflation. The current full State Pension, for people who reach State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016 is £12,547.60 a year. This is subject to some exceptions, and you can check your own circumstances on the State Pension forecast.
Can you boost your State Pension?
If you are not going to have enough qualifying years to get your full State Pension, you can make voluntary National Insurance contributions to help fill the gaps.
Is it taxable?
Yes, if your income is above your personal allowance (the current standard personal allowance in the UK is £12,570). So, once the State Pension is combined with other pension income, it’s likely that you will be liable for Income Tax. This Income Tax is typically taken from your private pension rather than your State Pension.
When will I get it?
If you were born before 5 April 1977, you’ll get your State Pension at 67. State Pension age is planned to rise from 67 to 68, incrementally between April 2044 and April 2046, and this impacts anyone born on or after 6 April 1977. You can check your State Pension age on the government website.
Retirement planning
If you’re starting to think about retirement income, there are some useful first steps for you to find out more. You can check out our resources on the website as we have some specific online resources for members who are thinking about taking their benefits these include our:
Published: 25 June 2026