What does this tool do?
The UK Retirement Planner estimates how much net income you could sustainably draw each year from your pension pot, ISA, and other savings, from a chosen retirement age through to the end of a planning horizon.
Is this financial advice?
No. This tool is for illustrative planning purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. You should consult a qualified financial adviser before making retirement decisions.
How is the State Pension handled?
You enter your expected State Pension age and annual amount. The tool adds this income from that age onward, reducing how much you need to draw from private assets. The defaults are based on the current full new State Pension, but your actual entitlement may differ.
What tax rules does the calculator use?
The tool applies current UK income tax bands and rates (Personal Allowance, basic, higher, and additional rate) to estimate your net income after tax. ISA withdrawals are assumed to be tax-free. Tax rules change over time, so projections far into the future should be treated as rough estimates.
How much can I pay into my pension in 2026/27?
HMRC says there is no fixed limit on how much an individual can contribute to a registered pension scheme, but tax relief is limited. For the 2026/27 tax year the standard annual allowance is £60,000. If you are a UK resident under 75, tax relief is normally limited to contributions up to the higher of 100% of UK taxable earnings or £3,600. See HMRC pension scheme rates.
Do employer pension contributions count towards the annual allowance?
Yes. Employer pension contributions count towards the annual allowance, along with personal contributions and tax relief. In this calculator, use the annual pension contribution field for the total amount being added to the pension each year.
What is the money purchase annual allowance?
The money purchase annual allowance can apply after you have flexibly accessed defined-contribution pension benefits. For 2026/27 HMRC lists it as £10,000, meaning future defined-contribution pension saving above that level may trigger an annual allowance charge.
What is the 25% tax-free lump sum?
Under current UK rules you can normally take up to 25% of your defined-contribution pension pot as a tax-free lump sum. The tool models this by treating the first 25% of pension withdrawals as tax-free and taxing the remainder as income.
What growth and inflation rates are used?
You can set your own assumptions for investment growth rate and inflation rate in the input panel. The defaults are illustrative starting points. All projections are shown in nominal terms unless stated otherwise.
Is my data stored?
No. All calculations run entirely in your browser. Your financial inputs are never sent to a server or stored anywhere. The only data the site stores is optional anonymous feedback (thumbs up/down and comments).
Can I use this on my phone?
Yes. The planner is fully responsive and works on mobile, tablet, and desktop browsers.
What changed for UK pensions in 2026?
The Pension Schemes Act became law on 29 April 2026. It includes reforms such as value-for-money rules, automatic consolidation of small pension pots, larger defined-contribution funds, and clearer default options for turning pension savings into retirement income. See the GOV.UK announcement.
What is the MoneyHelper Pensions Dashboard?
The MoneyHelper Pensions Dashboard is planned as the first public pensions dashboard. It is intended to help people view workplace, private, and State Pension information together. The Money and Pensions Service says consumer testing entered a second phase in March 2026 before public launch. See the MaPS pensions dashboards update.
Will National Insurance be charged on salary sacrifice pension contributions?
From 6 April 2029, the National Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) Act 2026 lets the government charge employer and employee Class 1 National Insurance on salary sacrifice pension contributions above £2,000 a year. The first £2,000 of salary sacrifice contributions per employee per year remains NIC-free. Contributions made outside a salary sacrifice arrangement (direct employee or employer contributions) are not affected by this Act. See the House of Commons Library briefing.
Ready to run the numbers?
Open the free UK pension calculator to estimate the highest net income your pension pot, ISA, and savings can sustain through retirement.
Try the free pension calculator →Related reading
- Full new State Pension weekly rate 2026/27 — £241.30/week (£12,548/year), triple lock, tax, and State Pension age changes
- How much pension do I need to retire in the UK? — PLSA living standards and pot-size targets