Pensions
How your State Pension is worked out
Last updated 16 October 2026
The full State Pension (Contributory) is €299.30 a week in 2026 and €309.30 from January 2027. It needs 2,080 contributions, about 40 years.
The State Pension (Contributory) is paid from 66 to people with enough PRSI contributions. It doesn't depend on your income or savings. Since 2025 the rate is worked out two ways and you get whichever pays more.
Qualifying
You need at least 520 paid full-rate contributions (ten years of work). You must also have started paying PRSI at least ten years before you claim.
Method 1: total contributions
Add up your paid and voluntary contributions, up to 520 credited contributions, and HomeCaring Periods for time spent caring. Credits and HomeCaring together are capped at 1,040. Divide by 2,080. That percentage of the maximum rate is your pension.
In the Department's example, 947 paid contributions, 520 of 855 credits and 350 HomeCaring Periods make 1,817: 87.35% of the maximum. At the 2025 rate of €289.30 that was €252.70 a week.
Method 2: the yearly average, being phased out
The older method divides your contributions by the years since you first paid PRSI, and pays a rate band for the average. From 2025 it is blended with method 1, and the yearly average's share falls each year until it disappears in 2034.
| Year you claim | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 | 2032 | 2033 | 2034 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly average share | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% | 0% |
Citizens Information's example: 834 contributions over 37 years, claiming at 66 in 2025. Method 1 gives 40.09% of the maximum. Method 2 gives 90% of the yearly-average band rate plus 10% of method 1: €233.27 a week. So method 2 is paid.
Claiming later pays more
| Age you claim | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum weekly rate, 2026 | €299.30 | €313.40 | €328.90 | €345.70 | €363.90 |
You can defer up to 70, and keep working and paying PRSI meanwhile, which can also raise your contribution count.
Your contribution record is on MyWelfare.ie. Enter it into the State Pension forecast to see both methods and the rate you would get.
Work it out
Sources
- Citizens Information: State Pension (Contributory): qualifying, Total Contributions Approach, Yearly Average bands 2026 (checked 25/10/2026)
- Department of Social Protection: How to calculate your State Pension (Contributory) rate (worked TCA and Yearly Average examples) (checked 25/10/2026)
- Citizens Information: Deferring your State Pension (Contributory): 2026 rates at ages 66 to 70 (checked 25/10/2026)
- Citizens Information: Social welfare rates announced in Budget 2027 (2026 and 2027 rates side by side) (checked 25/10/2026)
General information, not tax advice. HeyPenny is not a tax agent.