What This Pension Calculator Shows You
This calculator estimates the potential value of your pension at retirement based on realistic, long-term assumptions.
By entering a few details, you can see:
- How much you’re contributing to your pension
- How tax relief boosts your contributions
- The impact of employer contributions
- How investment growth compounds over time
- An estimated pension pot value at your chosen retirement age
It’s suitable for:
- Workplace pensions
- Personal pensions
- SIPPs
- Long-term retirement planning
How Pension Contributions Work in the UK
Pensions are powerful because multiple inputs work together.
Your Contributions
These are the regular amounts you personally pay into your pension.
Tax Relief
Most UK pensions receive tax relief at source, meaning the government adds money to your contributions:
- A 20% tax relief top-up is applied automatically for most savers
- Higher and additional-rate taxpayers may be able to claim extra relief separately
This calculator applies tax relief only to your personal contributions, which reflects how pensions typically work in practice.
Employer Contributions
If you’re part of a workplace pension, your employer may also contribute. These payments are added separately and can significantly increase your pension over time.
The Role of Investment Growth
Pension investments grow tax-free while invested, allowing returns to compound over many years.
This calculator uses an average annual return assumption to model long-term growth. While real returns vary year to year, using an average helps you understand the overall direction and potential scale of growth.
Time in the market matters more than short-term performance.
Why Retirement Age Makes a Big Difference
Your retirement age determines how long your money has to grow.
Even small changes — retiring a few years later or earlier — can have a meaningful impact on your final pension value. This calculator allows you to adjust retirement age to see how time affects your outcome.
What You’ll Need to Use the Calculator
To estimate your pension, you’ll enter:
- Current age
- Planned retirement age
- Current pension value
- Your monthly contribution
- Employer contribution
- Tax relief rate
- Expected average annual return
From this, the calculator projects how your pension could grow between now and retirement.
How Accurate Is This Pension Calculator?
This tool provides estimates, not guarantees.
Actual pension outcomes may differ due to:
- Investment performance
- Charges and fees
- Contribution changes
- Tax rule changes
- Employment changes
- Legislative updates
It’s best used as a planning and education tool, not a replacement for regulated financial advice.
Why Use a Pension Calculator?
A pension calculator helps you:
- Understand whether you’re on track for retirement
- See the value of tax relief and employer contributions
- Test “what if” scenarios by changing contributions or retirement age
- Make more informed long-term decisions
Many people delay pension planning simply because they don’t know where to start. Tools like this help remove that uncertainty.
Use the Pension Calculator Below
Enter your details below to estimate how your pension could grow by retirement.
Adjust the assumptions, test different contribution levels, and focus on what matters most:
consistency, time, and staying invested for the long term.