How much pension do I need to retire in the UK?

It depends on the income you want: as a rough shape, a £250,000 pot plus a full state pension supports a modest-but-comfortable single retirement, while the commonly cited 'comfortable' standards need substantially more. Run your own numbers through the drawdown calculator rather than trusting a headline figure.

When can I take my pension?

Private and workplace pensions from age 55, rising to 57 from April 2028. The state pension currently arrives at 66 to 67 depending on your birth year. The gap between those ages is exactly what drawdown planning is for.

Is it worth topping up National Insurance years?

Usually, emphatically yes if you have gaps and expect to live more than about three years past state pension age. Check your official forecast on gov.uk first, because some gaps fill themselves if you keep working.

Money moment · 6 steps · all free

Retiring soon

Whether the pot lasts, the state pension gaps worth buying back, and the final accumulation moves that matter most in the last working decade.

1
Test whether the pot lasts
Pick the income you want and see the year-by-year truth, including the age the money runs out and the income that would last to 95.
Pension drawdown calculator →
2
Buy back missing state pension years
A voluntary NI year costs under £1,000 and pays back in under three years of pension. Few investments come close; check your gaps first.
State pension top-up calculator →
3
Make the last decade count
Contributions in your final working years still compound, and higher-rate relief may vanish when you stop. See what raising them costs in real take-home.
Pension contribution checker →
4
Price in inflation
At 2.5% inflation, £25,000 of income buys a quarter less in ten years. See what your target income needs to become to keep its buying power.
UK inflation calculator →
5
Know your whole position
Pension, property, ISAs, cash, minus what you owe. One honest net worth number makes every retirement decision easier.
Net worth calculator →
6
Squeeze the match while it lasts
If your employer matches contributions, every unmatched pound is a pay cut you chose. Read why the match beats everything else.
Is paying more into my pension worth it? →

Not sure where you stand overall?

The Money Health Check scores your whole position in three minutes and ranks what to fix first.

Start the health check

Common questions

How much pension do I need to retire in the UK?: It depends on the income you want: as a rough shape, a £250,000 pot plus a full state pension supports a modest-but-comfortable single retirement, while the commonly cited 'comfortable' standards need substantially more. Run your own numbers through the drawdown calculator rather than trusting a headline figure.
When can I take my pension?: Private and workplace pensions from age 55, rising to 57 from April 2028. The state pension currently arrives at 66 to 67 depending on your birth year. The gap between those ages is exactly what drawdown planning is for.
Is it worth topping up National Insurance years?: Usually, emphatically yes if you have gaps and expect to live more than about three years past state pension age. Check your official forecast on gov.uk first, because some gaps fill themselves if you keep working.

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Retiring soon

Test whether the pot lasts

Buy back missing state pension years

Make the last decade count

Price in inflation

Know your whole position

Squeeze the match while it lasts

Common questions