The UK's state pension is set to increase beyond £13,000 per year, but a recent survey by the UK's tax authority found that one in eight people have never checked their estimated future pension amount. The current flat-rate state pension, which applies to those who reached retirement age after April 2016, is £241.30 per week, or about £12,547 annually. Meanwhile, those who retired before April 2016 receive the old basic state pension, which is £184.90 per week, or around £9,614 annually. Some individuals on the older pension may also receive an extra top-up known as the additional state pension. In addition, most pensioners have other income, often from personal pension savings built up during their working lives. The state pension amount increases each year based on the highest of three factors: inflation, wage growth, or a guaranteed 2.5% increase. This means the flat-rate pension is expected to cross the £13,000 annual threshold next April. To qualify for the full state pension, individuals typically need 35 years of National Insurance (NI) contributions. If someone has lived abroad or taken time off work to care for family, their NI record may have gaps. In these cases, they may be eligible for NI credits if they receive child benefit or carer’s allowance. Since April 2025, people can only make voluntary contributions to cover the previous six years, highlighting the need to check one’s pension forecast early. To check their estimated pension, individuals can use the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) app or the official online state pension forecast tool. These services require users to confirm their identity with official photo ID. It is important to be cautious of unsolicited emails or texts asking for personal information, as they may be scams. For further guidance, HMRC’s Tax Confident website and the independent Money Helper site, which offers a free retirement planning tool, are valuable resources. A recent survey of 5,000 people by HMRC found that the most common reason for not checking their pension forecast was the belief that retirement was still far off. Other reasons included difficulty tracking pension savings from past jobs and uncertainty about how career breaks might affect their entitlement. People aged 45 to 54 were most likely to have never checked their forecast. HMRC’s chief customer officer, Myrtle Lloyd, urges everyone to review their forecast regardless of how far away retirement seems, as there may be steps to take now to improve future benefits.