HMRC says nearly seven million UK adults — about 12.5%, from a survey of 5,206 people in February–March 2026 — have never checked their State Pension forecast. The message belongs to Pension Awareness Week, 15–18 September, not a finding that millions of people have lost money.

The authority urges use of the HMRC app and GOV.UK services for the forecast, State Pension age and National Insurance record. People aged 45 to 54 are, according to the research, the group most likely never to have checked, even though it is an important time to plan.

An incomplete contribution year can change the amount, but it does not automatically mean a voluntary payment is the best choice. That depends on age, qualifying years and individual circumstances. Official services show whether a top-up would raise entitlement, not a news article.

The Tax Confident platform explains tax and pension basics in plainer language for people approaching or already in retirement. The State Pension is taxable; the detail sits with each person’s tax position.

The campaign is awareness work. It does not replace official records and is not financial advice. For important decisions, GOV.UK and, where needed, an authorised adviser remain the check.

This article does not recommend automatic payment of voluntary contributions.

The picture is an institutional or public-information frame, with no personal data visible on a screen or on documents.

Image: Government Offices Great George Street, London, 2018 / Wikimedia Commons (Bryan S., CC BY-SA 2.0). A government building, not the pension app. Cropped to 16:9.

Source consulted: GOV.UK — Almost 7 million adults in the dark about their State Pension; GOV.UK — Check your State Pension forecast.