Almost 7 million adults in the dark about their State Pension

Almost 7 million adults could be missing out on information to help prepare them for their retirement.

This Pension Awareness Week (15 to 18 September 2026), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is encouraging people of all ages to download and use the free and secure HMRC app and the Tax Confident website to help them get ready for retirement and understand what to expect.

New research from HMRC reveals one in eight adults (12.5%) have never checked their State Pension forecast and 45 to 54-year-olds are more likely than any other age group to have never checked it, despite it being a key time for retirement planning.

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.

The survey into customers’ online habits and attitudes towards pensions and tax found that almost a third of people have checked their State Pension using the HMRC app or online, giving them a clear picture of what to expect in retirement.