Should I Defer My State Pension?

See how much your State Pension pays if you claim it at State Pension age or put it off for up to 5 years, what you give up while you wait, and the age at which deferring pays off.

Your State Pension forecast

A week, from GOV.UK. The full rate is £241.30 in 2026/27, and £250.70 from April 2027.

Pension age

Defer for

Plan to age

Deferring 1 year, to 68

£255.24 a week

5.8% more for life, but you’d go without £12,548 while you wait.

Pays off from: Age 86
Total by 85: £225,632
Claiming now: £225,857

What this means

For each 9 weeks you put off claiming, your State Pension goes up by the equivalent of 1%, just under 5.8% for each year. You need to defer at least 9 weeks, and there’s no lump sum: you get the extra as a higher weekly pension.

Deferring pays off only if you live long enough to make up the payments you missed, often into your late 80s. It can suit you if you’re still working, as the State Pension is taxable and could push you into a higher tax band. Deferring doesn’t build up while you get Pension Credit, Carer’s Allowance or certain other benefits.

Next step

Claim now or defer

Start at	A week	Total by 85
67 (no deferral)	£241.30	£225,857
68 (+5.8%)	£255.24	£225,632
69 (+11.6%)	£269.18	£223,958
70 (+17.3%)	£283.13	£220,841
71 (+23.1%)	£297.07	£216,267
72 (+28.9%)	£311.01	£210,243

Total by 85

£225,857£112,928£0

676869707172

State Pension

Assumptions in this estimate

For the new State Pension, for people who reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016. In today’s money: it rises each April by the triple lock until April 2029, deferred or not, and from April 2030 by the highest of 2.5%, inflation, or the rise that keeps its value relative to earnings.
You need 35 qualifying years of National Insurance for the full amount and 10 to get any; your forecast shows yours.
State Pension age is 66, rising to 67 for people born after 5 March 1961, and between the two for those born from 6 April 1960. Check yours on GOV.UK.
Tax isn’t included: the State Pension, and the extra from deferring, count as taxable income. From April 2027, the Pension Tax Allowance means no tax on a total income up to the full new State Pension.

Spotted a mistake? Tell us

How the calculator works

Your forecast: your weekly State Pension at State Pension age, from your forecast on GOV.UK.
Deferring: the equivalent of 1% more for every 9 weeks you put it off, for up to 5 years.
Totals: what you’d get from each starting age to the age you plan for, in today’s money, and the age at which deferring has paid back the payments you missed.

Example

With the full £241.30 a week from 67:

Start at	A week	Total by 85
67	£241.30	£225,857
68	£255.24	£225,632
69	£269.18	£223,958
72	£311.01	£210,243

Deferring a year gives up £12,548 but adds £13.94 a week, so it pays off after about 85 and 4 months. Living to 85, claiming at 67 pays slightly more.

Learn more

See our guide to the State Pension, the pension calculator, and the pension drawdown calculator.

Last updated October 28, 2026

Frequently asked questions

How much will the State Pension be in 2027/28?

The full new State Pension rises from £241.30 to £250.70 a week from 6 April 2027, which is £13,036.40 a year. It rises by the triple lock until April 2029; from April 2030 it will rise by the highest of 2.5%, inflation, or the rise that keeps its value relative to earnings at its April 2029 level.

How much does the State Pension go up if I defer?

By the equivalent of 1% for every 9 weeks you put it off, which is just under 5.8% for each year. On the full new State Pension of £241.30 a week, deferring a year adds about £13.94 a week, for life.

Is it worth deferring my State Pension?

Only if you live long enough to make up the payments you missed. Deferring a year from 67 pays off at about 85; deferring longer takes longer to pay off. It can suit you if you’re still working and don’t need the income yet.

Can I get a lump sum for deferring?

Not with the new State Pension, for people who reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016. You get the extra as a higher weekly pension. People who reached State Pension age before then could choose a lump sum.

How do I defer my State Pension?

Just don’t claim it. It’s not paid automatically, so it’s deferred until you claim. If you’ve already started getting it, you can stop it once to defer.

Is the State Pension taxed?

It counts as taxable income, along with any extra from deferring, but it’s paid without tax taken off. If you have other income, such as a pension or wages, HMRC usually collects the tax through your tax code. From April 2027, the new Pension Tax Allowance means people over State Pension age with a total income up to the full new State Pension (£13,036.40) pay no income tax.