By Pete, UK expat in Sydney · Last updated
Ask ten Brits in Australia (or Aussies back from a stint in London) about their UK State Pension and you'll get ten answers. “Is that my old work pension?” “Isn't that like super?” “The what?” Fair enough. Nobody ever explained it. So here's the short version, no jargon, no maths homework.
Your super, or any pension you had through a UK employer, is a pot: money invested in your name that goes up and down, and that you spend in retirement until it runs out.
The UK State Pension is nothing like that. There's no pot with your name on it. Instead, from UK State Pension age the UK government simply pays you, every four weeks, for the rest of your life. Live to 100 and it keeps coming.
£241.30
a week, the full amount (2026/27)
£12,547.60
a year, or about A$23,800
66–67
when it starts (rising to 67 by 2028)
Remember the National Insurance on your UK payslips? That wasn't just a tax. Every year you paid it counts as a qualifying year on your National Insurance record. Once you have enough of them, each one adds roughly £358.50 a year to your pension, for life.
A missing year costs up to £956 to buy and adds about £358.50 a year to your pension, so it can pay for itself within three years of claiming. See how the numbers work.
You don't need a British passport either. Aussies who worked in the UK and paid National Insurance build up years too.
The UK government. Today's workers' National Insurance pays today's pensioners, a bit like the Australian Age Pension is paid from taxes. The difference: the UK State Pension isn't means-tested. If you've got the years, you get it, however much super or property you own.
And yes, it's paid to you here in Australia, straight into your Aussie bank account. The catch: while you live here it's frozen at the rate you first get, with no yearly rises.
Put in your UK years and the calculator shows what you're on track for, what topping up would cost, and how quickly it pays for itself.
Use the free calculatorA free 5-step email course for Brits in Australia (and Aussies who worked in the UK). One small step at a time, each under an hour, and nothing costs a cent. Your retired self could be very glad you did this!
General information only. This page doesn't consider your personal circumstances and isn't financial advice. Figures are 2026/27 rates; check your own forecast with GOV.UK.