How it's calculated

Your State Pension is based on your National Insurance record. Each qualifying year above 10 typically adds 1/35th of the full new State Pension. You can check your record and forecast at gov.uk.

When to claim

State Pension age is currently 66, rising to 67 between 2026 and 2028, and to 68 between 2044 and 2046. You can choose to defer your State Pension, deferring for a year currently increases your payments by about 5.8%.

• 35 qualifying NI years for the full new State Pension
• Voluntary NI contributions can fill historic gaps (subject to deadlines)
• Deferral uplift of roughly 5.8% per year of delay
• Taxable as earned income alongside other pensions

How Optiml uses the State Pension

Optiml models the State Pension as guaranteed income from your chosen start age. Picking the right start age, including whether to defer, is one of the levers Optiml tests against your full plan, so the choice is grounded in your actual numbers rather than a default.