State Pension for married couples - one each, usually.

Is there a couples State Pension?

No. State Pension is normally an individual entitlement, not a single household payment.

For people under the new State Pension system, your amount is usually based on your own National Insurance record. That means a married couple can have:

• two full State Pensions;
• one full and one partial State Pension;
• two partial State Pensions;
• one partner with no State Pension entitlement;
• extra amounts from older or transitional rules.

The only reliable way to know the figures is for each person to check their own State Pension forecast.

How much could a couple get?

For 2026/27, the full rate of the new State Pension is £241.30 a week.

If both spouses or civil partners qualify for the full new State Pension, the combined amount is £482.60 a week, or about £25,095 a year.

That is not a guaranteed couples rate. It is simply two full individual new State Pensions added together.

Why one partner may get less

One partner may receive less if they:

• have fewer qualifying National Insurance years;
• were contracted out before 2016;
• have gaps from low earnings, caring, self-employment or time abroad;
• reached State Pension age under the older basic State Pension system;
• have transitional calculations from the 2016 changeover.

People whose National Insurance record started after April 2016 normally need 35 qualifying years for the full new State Pension. People with records before April 2016 can be affected by contracting out or Additional State Pension.

What about a spouse's National Insurance record?

Under the new State Pension, a spouse or civil partner's National Insurance record usually does not replace your own — your pension is based on your own NI record.

There are exceptions. You might be able to inherit State Pension or increase it through a spouse or civil partner in some cases, but these are mainly transitional and older-system rules, not a general couples rate.

For older basic State Pension cases, you may be able to increase or inherit State Pension through a spouse or civil partner if you had one. Those rules depend on dates of birth, State Pension age dates, marriage or civil partnership dates, and the partner's record.

Practical checks for couples

Do these separately for each person:

1. Check State Pension age using the official GOV.UK calculator or the State Pension age calculator.
2. Check the State Pension forecast on GOV.UK.
3. Check the National Insurance record for missing qualifying years.
4. Check whether either person was contracted out.
5. If one person has low entitlement under the old system, use GOV.UK's partner NI record tool or contact the Pension Service.

Do not assume the lower pension is wrong just because a partner has a higher one. The records may simply be different.

Tax and benefits

State Pension is taxable income, but it is normally paid without tax deducted at source. HMRC usually collects any tax due through PAYE codes on your other income, or through Self Assessment.

For low-income households, State Pension is separate from Pension Credit. Pension Credit can be available even if you have other income, savings or own your home.

This is factual information, not benefits or financial advice. Check each person's GOV.UK forecast before making retirement-income assumptions.