Section · 5 articles
State Pension
How the State Pension is worked out and uprated, what deferring and voluntary contributions really buy, and what happens to it when a partner dies.
How the triple lock decides each April’s State Pension increase
Three measures go in each autumn and only the largest comes out. Which one won for April 2026, which parts of a pension it does not touch, and what the figures for next April already show.
Why so many people receive less than the full new State Pension
The full rate is £241.30 a week, but it is a ceiling rather than a standard award. How the starting amount from 2016, contracted-out years and gaps decide where an individual figure lands.
What putting off your State Pension adds for each week you wait
One per cent for every nine weeks under the new rules, more under the old ones. A plain look at what deferral adds, how long it takes to catch up, and who cannot build it up at all.
Buying back missing National Insurance years, and when it isn’t worth it
A full year of Class 3 contributions costs £956.80 at the 2026/27 rate. For some people it adds to the State Pension for life; for others it adds nothing at all. How to tell which before paying.
What happens to a State Pension when a husband or wife dies
Under the old system a widow or widower can often build on a partner’s record. Under the new one, much less passes on. The rules, the dates that decide them and what can be inherited.
The other sections
The Tuesday Tide
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