State Pension deferral calculator
See how much more you'd get each week if you delay claiming your new State Pension, and how long it takes to make back what you gave up.
Your result appears here as you type.
Before tax, and before the yearly increases. An estimate, not financial advice.
How deferral works under the new State Pension
If you reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016 and don't claim straight away, your pension is deferred. For each week you wait it grows by one ninth of 1%, so 9 weeks adds 1% and 52 weeks adds 5.78%. You get the extra as a higher weekly payment for the rest of your life. There's no lump sum option.
The extra is taxable in the same way as the rest of your State Pension. It's normally uprated each April by inflation, while the main pension rises under the triple lock.
How this is calculated
The extra weekly amount is your weekly pension × weeks deferred × (1% ÷ 9). The pension you give up is your weekly pension × weeks deferred. The break-even point is the pension given up divided by the extra you get each year. It doesn't account for tax, annual increases or the interest you could earn on the money in the meantime, which can all move the answer by a year or two either way.
Worked example: deferring for a year
- Pension given up: 52 × £241.30 = £12,547.60
- Increase: 52 ÷ 9 = 5.78%, or £13.94 a week
- Extra a year: £724.97
It takes about 17 years and 4 months of the higher pension to get back the £12,547.60. Someone deferring from 66 would need to live past about 84 and a half to come out ahead.
Questions people ask
How much does deferring the State Pension increase it?
For people who reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016, it goes up by the equivalent of 1% for every 9 weeks you defer. That’s just under 5.8% for a full year. You have to defer for at least 9 weeks to get anything.
Is deferring the State Pension worth it?
It depends how long you live. Deferring a year of the full new State Pension gives up about £12,548 to get about £725 a year more, so it takes around 17 years to break even before tax. It can make more sense if you’re still working and would pay higher rate tax on the pension now.
Can I take the deferred State Pension as a lump sum?
Not under the new State Pension. If you reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016, deferring only gives you a higher weekly pension. The lump sum option was only for people under the old scheme.
Does the extra deferred pension go up each year?
Yes, but usually by inflation (CPI) rather than the triple lock that applies to the main State Pension.
Do I need to tell anyone to defer?
No. Your State Pension is deferred automatically until you claim it. You can claim at any time and it starts from then.
Sources
- Delay (defer) your State Pension (GOV.UK)
- The new State Pension: what you’ll get (GOV.UK)
Rates and review
Uses rates for the 2026/27 tax year. Figures last checked against the sources on 25 October 2026.
Written by author to be named. Reviewed by qualified reviewer to be named.
See how we calculate and the disclaimer. Spotted a wrong figure? Report a problem.