When will I get my state pension

When will I get my state pension?

When you get your state pension depends entirely on the country you live in and your date of birth.

In the UK, you receive the UK State Pension from your official State Pension age, which is currently 66 for many people and is rising to 67 between 2026 and 2028 under current legislation.

In the US, the equivalent is Social Security. You can claim it from age 62, receive your full amount between ages 66 and 67 depending on birth year, or increase payments by delaying up to age 70.

Your start age is only half the story. The amount you receive depends on your contribution history and claiming decisions. This income should be factored into your total retirement plan, alongside your private pension and investments.

State pensions are country-specific

One of the biggest sources of confusion I see is people assuming a “state pension” works the same everywhere. It does not.

A state pension is a government-backed retirement income, and each country sets its own rules around:

• The age you can claim

• How eligibility is earned

• How much you receive

• Whether delaying increases payments

That is why understanding your country’s system early matters. It shapes how much income you will already have in retirement, and therefore how large your private pension needs to be.

When will I get my state pension in the UK?

In the UK, the key question is your State Pension age.

What determines your UK State Pension?

• Your date of birth determines when you can claim

• Your National Insurance record determines how much you receive

To receive the full UK State Pension, you generally need 35 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions. Fewer years means a partial pension.

This is where people underestimate its importance. Over a long retirement, even a “modest” weekly payment adds up to thousands of pounds of lifetime income. That directly reduces how much you need to build privately.

Common reasons people have National Insurance gaps

• Career breaks

• Time spent caring for children or relatives

• Self-employment with low or missed contributions

• Periods living or working abroad

• Earning below contribution thresholds earlier in life

Awareness is the key. These gaps are often fixable if you spot them early enough.

When will I get my state pension in the US?

In the US, the question becomes when should I claim Social Security.

The three Social Security ages that matter

• Age 62: earliest claim, permanently reduced payments

• Full Retirement Age (66 to 67): full entitlement based on birth year

• Age 70: maximum benefit if you delay

Unlike the UK, the US system gives you flexibility. But flexibility also creates decision risk. Claiming early locks in lower income for life. Delaying increases guaranteed income later.

Why the state pension is too important to ignore

One of the biggest myths I want to challenge is:

“The state pension is too small to matter.”

The state pension:

• Covers a meaningful portion of baseline living costs

• Reduces the pressure on your private pension

• Influences how much risk you need to take with investments

• Acts as inflation-linked, guaranteed income in later life

Retirement planning is not about one pot. It is about total income.

State income + private pension income + personal investments = your retirement reality.

A simple retirement planning framework (UK and US)

Here is the practical way I think about it.

Step 1: Identify your state pension start age

Know the exact age you can claim under current rules.

Step 2: Estimate your annual state income

UK: based on qualifying years
US: based on earnings history and claiming age

Step 3: Decide your target retirement income

What does life cost on your terms?

Step 4: Calculate the gap

Target income minus expected state income equals what your private pensions and investments must deliver.

This single exercise often changes behaviour fast.

Will the rules change again?

This is personal for me.

I was genuinely frustrated when:

• UK private pension access moved from 55 to 57

• UK State Pension age was pushed out

• Similar demographic pressures appeared globally

Given ageing populations and fewer workers supporting more retirees, I would not be surprised to see further changes in the future.

That is why I believe:

• You should plan using today’s rules

• But build flexibility so your plan still works if access ages move again

Your retirement should not be held hostage by policy shifts.

A simple retirement timeline example

Let’s say:

• You want £30,000 a year in retirement

• Your projected UK State Pension is £11,500 a year (in today’s terms)

That means your private pensions and investments only need to deliver:
£18,500 a year, not £30,000.

That difference materially changes:

• The size of the pension pot you need

• The level of investment risk required

• How early retirement becomes realistic

Ignoring the state pension leads to overestimating what you need and underestimating your progress.

The two state pension myths to drop today

Myth 1: I automatically get the full amount
You do not. Eligibility depends on contributions and credits. You must check.

Myth 2: It is too small to matter
Over a 20 to 30 year retirement, it is one of the most valuable income streams you will ever receive.

Final thoughts on state pension

Knowing when will I get my state pension is not trivia. It is a foundational input into your entire retirement strategy.

If you want clarity on whether you are on track to retire on your terms, with the income you actually want, you need to zoom out and see the full picture.

Your OTTER score shows you exactly where you are on your journey toward the retirement you desire, whether that is early retirement or simply freedom of choice.

It connects:

• Your state pension

• Your private pensions

So you can see, clearly, whether you are on track to retire by the age you want, with the income you want, on your terms.