UK State Pension 2026/27: age, amounts, and what it means for care fees

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At a glance (2026/27)

	Weekly	Annual (×52)	Source
Full new State Pension	£241.30	£12,547.60	gov.uk
Full basic State Pension (pre-2016 scheme)	£184.90	£9,614.80	gov.uk
State Pension age today	66 (rising to 67 from 6 May 2026 in stages)		DWP timetable
April 2026 increase	+4.8% (earnings element of the triple lock)		Written statement, 26 Nov 2025

Rates apply from 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027. 2027/28 rates are announced after the Autumn Budget (expected November 2026) — we update this page the same week.

Why this matters if you are planning care

Most people arrive here from our care home listings, not from a pensions search. Three facts to hold onto:

Your State Pension counts as income in the council's financial assessment. If a local authority contributes to care home fees, it will expect most of your State Pension to go towards them, leaving you the Personal Expenses Allowance — £31.80 a week in 2026/27 (DHSC circular, 17 Feb 2026; Care Act 2014 s.14 and s.17; SI 2014/2672).
Capital limits are unchanged: £23,250 upper, £14,250 lower (same circular). Above the upper limit you are self-funding and the State Pension is simply part of your income.
A full new State Pension (£12,547.60/yr) covers roughly a quarter of a typical care home year — compare against actual fees in your area on our care home cost pages.

Section guide

State Pension age calculator — exact date by date of birth, and what the third SPA review could change.
How much State Pension will I get? — full vs partial, qualifying years, the "at 66" question, women, couples, widows.
New State Pension rates 2026/27 — every rate line from the DWP table, with the uprating maths.
Triple lock explained — how the 4.8% was calculated and what drives next April's figure.
Deferring your State Pension — 5.8% a year for delaying, and when it makes sense (and doesn't) if care is on the horizon.

Check your own figures (gov.uk)

State Pension forecast — your personal amount, based on your NI record.
State Pension age checker.
National Insurance record — gaps and whether voluntary contributions are worth it.

We do not estimate individual entitlements. If a number on this page and gov.uk disagree, gov.uk is right and we have a correction to make — tell us.

Data & media

For journalists, researchers and advisers. All figures on this section are taken from primary government sources and dated. Key reference points, 2026/27:

Figure	Value	Source (date)
Full new State Pension	£241.30/wk	DWP rates table (Apr 2026)
Full basic State Pension	£184.90/wk	DWP rates table (Apr 2026)
Uprating April 2026	4.8% (earnings)	HLWS1099 (26 Nov 2025)
People receiving State Pension	13.2m (Aug 2025)	DWP benefit statistics (17 Feb 2026)
Pension Credit recipients	1.4m (Aug 2025)	same
Attendance Allowance claimants	1.7m (Aug 2025)	same
Care home Personal Expenses Allowance	£31.80/wk	DHSC circular (17 Feb 2026)

Cite as: WhatCareCosts, "UK State Pension 2026/27", whatcarecosts.co.uk/state-pension/, verified 7 Sep 2026. Data enquiries: [editorial contact — to be added].

Legislation referenced

Pensions Act 2014 (s.27 — periodic review of pensionable age) · Pensions Act 2007 (rise to 68) · Pensions Act 1995 (equalisation) · Care Act 2014 (ss.14, 17) · Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) Regulations 2014 (SI 2014/2672).