# Upratelock report sample-c

**You're on track for £241.30/week in today's terms (100% of the full rate). Over 20 years of drawing from 2026/27, the triple lock pays £377,486; CPI only would pay £308,716 (−£68,770).**

Rules: 2026/27 full new State Pension £241.30/wk (£12,547.60/yr); Class 3 £18.40/wk; 10-year minimum, 35 years for full; deferral +1% per 9 weeks.

## Inputs
- Qualifying years now 35; expected future years 0; planned Class 3 years 0
- Years to State Pension age 0 (2026/27); horizon 20 years of drawing; deferral 45 weeks
- Earnings 4%/yr, CPI 2%/yr; start £241.30/wk; adjusted-lock anchor 2030/31

## Uprating policies
| Policy | Full rate at SPA | Your weekly in 2045/46 | Today's money | Cumulative over 20y | vs triple lock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triple lock | £241.30 | £525.96 | £361.04 | £377,486 | £0 |
| Earnings link only | £241.30 | £525.96 | £361.04 | £377,486 | £0 |
| CPI only | £241.30 | £369.10 | £253.36 | £308,716 | −£68,770 |
| Flat 2.5% a year | £241.30 | £403.33 | £276.86 | £324,366 | −£53,119 |
| Adjusted lock | £241.30 | £518.73 | £356.07 | £373,359 | −£4,127 |

Worst vs triple lock: **CPI only** (−£68,770). Best: **Triple lock** (nothing beats the triple lock on these paths).

## NI gap-fill (Class 3)
- No NI purchase planned. Cost £0.00 for 0 year(s) (0 × 52 × £18.40).
- Entitlement 1 → 1 of full rate (35 → 35 years).
- Gain at SPA: £0.00/wk triple lock; payback n/a yrs (triple lock), n/a yrs (CPI only).

## Deferral
- 45 weeks → +5% (£12.07/wk extra, CPI-linked). Pension forgone ≈ £10,859. Break-even after 16 years of drawing (triple lock).

## Shock test (8% CPI / 5% earnings at April 2027 uprating)
- Triple lock: £546.55/wk at end, £392,234 cumulative
- Earnings link only: £531.88/wk at end, £381,818 cumulative
- CPI only: £390.82/wk at end, £326,771 cumulative
- Flat 2.5% a year: £404.36/wk at end, £325,226 cumulative
- Adjusted lock: £539.04/wk at end, £387,948 cumulative

## Next steps
1. This week — verify the inputs: check your official forecast at gov.uk/check-state-pension (Government Gateway / GOV.UK One Login) and confirm the qualifying-years count matches the 35 you entered — note any "starting amount" if you were contracted out before 2016, which can sit above or below the pro-rata figure used here. Then download your NI record (gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record), list each gap year by tax year, and mark which fall inside the last 6 tax years — normally only those can still be bought, so confirm each year's payment deadline before the April uprating.
2. No NI purchase planned. You have 35 qualifying years counted; each extra year below 35 is worth about £6.89/week today for £956.80 of Class 3 — re-run with plannedExtraNiYears if you have gaps.
3. Stress-test the uprating risk: under CPI only you'd receive £68,770 less over 20 years than under the triple lock (and £65,462 less in the 8% CPI shock case). Size your private pension / drawdown so you can live with the worst line, not the triple-lock line.
4. Deferring 45 weeks adds 5% (≈£12.07/week, CPI-linked only) but forgoes ≈£10,859; under the triple lock you only come out ahead after ~16 years of drawing. Only defer if you're still working (the extra is taxable at your marginal rate) and expect to draw past that point; you cannot build deferral while you or your partner get certain benefits.
5. Diary your State Pension claim: the DWP should write about 2 months before State Pension age (2026/27); claim online at gov.uk/get-state-pension or on 0800 731 7898 if no letter arrives. State Pension age is rising to 67 between 2026 and 2028 — check yours at gov.uk/state-pension-age. Save this report link and re-run it each April after the uprating announcement (Autumn Budget sets the figure; GOV.UK publishes the new weekly rate) — swap your startingWeekly and CPI/earnings assumptions for the actual numbers, and take regulated advice (unbiased.co.uk / MoneyHelper Pension Wise if 50+) before large Class 3 payments.

_Projections, not promises: the State Pension uprating rule is set by Parliament each year. Simplified new State Pension maths (no starting amount/protected payment). Not financial advice. https://upratelock.darren-ee5.workers.dev/r/sample-c_