The ‘worrying’ state pension error seven million UK adults are making

Almost seven million people in the UK have never checked their state pension record, new government data shows.

Those aged between 45 and 54 are the most likely to have never checked it.

The government used pension awareness week to highlight the lack of retirement planning among millions of adults. It emerged on Tuesday that a full state pension will cross the £13,000 threshold next year for the first time as a result of the triple lock.

HMRC say one in eight have never looked at their state pension forecast, which is easily viewable on the gov.uk website or the HMRC app.

The most common reason for failing to check this information is people thinking retirement is too far away (26 per cent) and concern over losing track of previous workplace pensions (24 per cent).

Around one in ten (9.5 per cent) didn’t know how to check their forecast.

As well as showing how much each worker is on track to receive in their state forecast, taxpayers can also see any gaps in their record, which they can then plan around to ensure they get close to a full amount, or even buy back previous years where possible.

Periods where people have not been working, and thus have not been making National Insurance contributions, can lead to gaps in the state pension record.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s chief customer officer, said: “It’s never too early, or too late, to check your state pension forecast. Checking your forecast on the HMRC app takes just a few minutes but can make a real difference to how prepared you feel for the future.

“Whether retirement is decades away or just around the corner, I’d encourage everyone to check their forecast and see if there’s anything they can do now to boost their entitlement later.”

George Sweeney, personal finance expert at comparison site Finder, said starting with the app or website was “one of the simplest” tools at people’s disposal for their retirement planning.

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"With nearly 7 million adults, including a worrying number of 45-to-54-year-olds, completely in the dark about their state pension, millions risk facing unwanted financial surprises later in life.

“Delaying making a plan because retirement feels 'too far away' or 'too complicated' is understandable, but checking where you stand takes just minutes.”