Frozen State Pension calculator and country rules

Where does the State Pension abroad rise each year?

GOV.UK lists the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland and the places covered by the qualifying agreements below. Canada and New Zealand have social security agreements with the UK but do not get annual increases. Australia is also outside the uprating list.

Source: DWP, Countries where we pay an annual increase in the State Pension, dated 9 June 2014. The separate State Pension abroad guidance is dated 6 November 2024.

What are the State Pension rates for 2026-27?

These are the UK rates in DWP’s Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027, dated 16 February 2026. A frozen pension does not rise to these amounts just because the UK rate changes. Your own entitlement depends on your record.

See the Budget tracker for announcements and effective dates.

How many pensioners have a frozen State Pension?

About 480,000 UK State Pension recipients abroad did not receive annual increases in March 2022. DWP published that figure on 19 July 2023. It is a dated count, not a current estimate.

DWP said 84% of that group lived in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Read the Australia guide, Canada guide or New Zealand guide alongside the pension rules.

What happens if I return to live in the UK?

Your pension goes up to the current rate when you return to live in the UK. Until then, living outside the uprating countries means no yearly increases.

Can I pay voluntary National Insurance from abroad?

Voluntary National Insurance can fill gaps in your contribution record. It does not change whether your destination qualifies for annual pension increases. Check your record and pension forecast before paying.

From 6 April 2026, voluntary Class 2 contributions are no longer available for time abroad. To apply for Class 3 for time abroad after 5 April 2026, you need either 10 consecutive years living in the UK or 10 years of qualifying National Insurance contributions.

For 2025-26 and earlier, the residence or contribution test was 3 years. Class 3 costs £18.40 a week for 2026-27. HMRC’s voluntary National Insurance guidance below supplies the rates and eligibility rules.

The normal limit is the past 6 years, with a 5 April deadline each year. There is also a transition: someone who applied for 2024-25 or 2025-26 by 5 April 2026 must pay the contributions applied for and apply for 2026-27 by 5 April 2027 to retain the old Class 3 rules. The transition guidance is dated 14 July 2026.

Use HMRC’s voluntary National Insurance guidance to check which route applies before sending money.

Does an S1 form cover healthcare abroad?

An S1 form records entitlement to state healthcare funded by the UK. GOV.UK’s Spain guidance says a resident receiving a UK State Pension or another qualifying exportable benefit may qualify. In Spain, register the form with the INSS, the Spanish social security body.

A pensioner requests an application form by phone from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services. Use the official Spain healthcare guidance for contact details. The S1 route and pension uprating are separate questions.

What else should I arrange before retiring abroad?

Use the moving abroad checklist for departure steps and the UK pensions abroad guide for accounts and private pensions. A private pension transfer has its own rules, explained in the QROPS guide.