The government collects payments through National Insurance Contributions (NICs), and uses some of that money to pay State Pensions to the retired. If you haven't paid NICs for a significant part of your working life, you will not be entitled to the full Basic State Pension.  If you've never paid NICs, you may not get a State Pension at all, and you may wish to consider making voluntary NICs.

Here are a few things to think about if you are planning on relying on the government:

1. Will the State Pension be enough for me?
   The Basic State Pension and any earnings related additional State Pension that you may be entitled to are likely to add up to only a few thousand pounds a year. This won’t provide much more than basic day to day living. Use our budget calculator to work out how much you are likely to need to get by in retirement.
2. Will there be a state pension when I retire?
   Governments can change the rules for State Pensions and benefits at any time, so it may be unwise to rely solely on any particular type or level of benefit being available when you retire.
3. What if I need more than the State Pension will provide?Work out how much pension you might receive with our pension calculator and start thinking about making your own investments, for example by paying into a pension scheme that will provide you with retirement benefits in the future.
4. What pensions can I have?There are plenty of options and flexibility, for example you may be able to join an employer’s scheme. Read about Occupational Pensions to find out how they work.
5. What if my employer doesn’t have a pension scheme?If your employer does not offer a scheme, or if you are self employed, you can start your own pension.  Find out about Individual Stakeholder Pensions, Individual Personal Pensions, or Self Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs) in our ‘Your pension choices’ box on the right to find out which one might be right for you.

What next?If you’re ready to find out more about what to do if you want to add to the benefits payable by the state,  you can either follow the next link at the bottom of the page, or, if you prefer you can use the links to information and tools on the right.