The State Pension is separate from any workplace or personal pension you might have. It's based on your National Insurance record, not on how much you've personally saved or invested — which makes it work quite differently from the pensions covered in our auto-enrolment guide.
How it's built up
You build entitlement through "qualifying years" of National Insurance contributions or credits. There's a minimum number of qualifying years needed to get any State Pension at all, and a higher number needed for the full amount — currently 35 years for the full new State Pension, though thresholds are occasionally reviewed, so check gov.uk for the figure that applies to you.
Checking your own forecast
gov.uk's "Check your State Pension forecast" tool shows your current number of qualifying years, an estimate of what you're on track to receive, and flags any gaps in your record. It's free, takes a few minutes, and is far more useful than estimating from general rules of thumb.
When you can claim it
State Pension age isn't a single fixed age for everyone and is subject to periodic review. Check the current age that applies to you, based on your date of birth, on gov.uk.
How it fits with other pensions
For most people, the State Pension is a foundation rather than the whole picture — on its own, it's usually not enough to fund the retirement most people picture. That's the role workplace and personal pensions are generally meant to play; see our workplace pensions guide for how those work, or try our retirement projector to see how your own pot could grow.