Retirement guide · UK · Updated October 2026
How much pension do I need?
Short answer: for one person in the UK, a modest retirement costs about £13,900 a year, a moderate one about £32,700 and a comfortable one about £45,400. The full State Pension pays £12,548 a year, so it covers the minimum almost on its own. Your own pension fills the gap above that.
Those figures are the 2026 Retirement Living Standards from Pensions UK, for one person living outside London, after tax and not counting rent or a mortgage. They're the most widely used yardstick in the UK. Below you'll see what each one means as a pension pot, what it means in weekly saving if you're starting late, and a calculator to work out your own number.
The three retirement standards
| Standard | One person, a year | A couple, a year | What it roughly covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | £13,900 | £22,500 | All your needs, a little left for fun: a UK week's holiday, eating out about once a month |
| Moderate | £32,700 | £45,400 | More security and choice: a two-week holiday abroad, running a car, help with home repairs |
| Comfortable | £45,400 | £62,700 | More freedom: regular holidays abroad, replacing the car more often, treats |
Source: Pensions UK Retirement Living Standards, 2026 figures, outside London. Living in London costs more.
What size pension pot does that mean?
Take off the State Pension, then work out the pot that could pay the rest. A common rule of thumb is that you can take about 4% of a pot each year, so every £1,000 a year of income needs about £25,000 in your pot.
| Standard (one person) | Yearly target | Gap after full State Pension | Pot needed (4% rule) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | £13,900 | £1,352 | about £34,000 |
| Moderate | £32,700 | £20,152 | about £504,000 |
| Comfortable | £45,400 | £32,852 | about £821,000 |
For a couple who both get the full State Pension (£25,095 a year between you), the minimum is already covered. The moderate standard needs a combined pot of about £508,000, and comfortable about £940,000.
If those bigger numbers make your stomach drop, you're not alone, and you don't need to hit them to be better off. Very few people retire with £500,000. Every £25,000 you build adds roughly £1,000 a year to your income for life, on top of the State Pension. That's the number to focus on.
The Retirement Living Standards are after tax, and income from a private pension can be taxed, so the real pot needed for the higher standards is somewhat more. A tax-free lump sum and an ISA can help. Treat these as rough guides.
Starting late? What saving now could add
This is what saving into a pension from different ages could add to your weekly retirement income at 67, in today's money. It includes 25% basic-rate tax relief and assumes 6% growth a year after fees.
| Start at | £25 a week | £50 a week | £100 a week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | +£55 a week | +£110 a week | +£219 a week |
| 50 | +£29 a week | +£57 a week | +£114 a week |
| 55 | +£18 a week | +£37 a week | +£74 a week |
So someone starting at 50 with £50 a week could add around £57 a week to the State Pension's £241.30, taking them to roughly £298 a week. That's comfortably above the minimum standard. Starting at 40 does the same job with half the money, which is why the best time to start is now, whatever your age.
Work out your own number
Choose the income you'd like and see roughly what you'd need to put in each week.
You'd need to put in about
—
More calculators: what £20 a week could become, and habit swaps →
Your State Pension is the foundation
The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week in 2026/27 (£12,548 a year). You need 35 qualifying years of National Insurance to get the full amount, and at least 10 to get anything. Gaps can sometimes be filled by paying voluntary contributions. Check your own forecast on GOV.UK at gov.uk/check-state-pension before you plan anything else, because it's the biggest part of most people's retirement income.
State Pension age is 67 for most people born after April 1961.
Quick questions
Is £100,000 a good pension pot?
Using the 4% rule, £100,000 could pay about £4,000 a year, or roughly £77 a week, on top of the State Pension. With the full State Pension that's about £16,500 a year in total, above the minimum standard.
How much pension do I need to live comfortably?
Pensions UK puts a comfortable retirement at about £45,400 a year for one person and £62,700 for a couple, outside London. After the State Pension, that means a pot of roughly £821,000 for one person.
I'm 50 with no pension. Is it too late?
No. You probably have 17 years before State Pension age, and as the table above shows, even £25 a week from 50 adds to your income for life. The most important steps are checking your State Pension forecast, finding any old workplace pensions, and starting something this month. More in our guide: How much should I have in my pension at 50?
Do I need less if I own my home?
Usually, yes. The standards above already leave out rent and mortgage payments, so if you'll still be renting in retirement you'll need more.
Started late too? Nick is building wealth publicly from nothing, one week at a time. His book No Pension. No Problem. shows how to start.
General information, not financial advice. Figures are illustrations, not promises. Investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you put in. Tax rules can change. If you're unsure what's right for you, speak to a regulated financial adviser, or use the free, government-backed MoneyHelper service. Figures checked October 2026: Pensions UK Retirement Living Standards 2026; full new State Pension 2026/27.