Published and sources checked · UK tax year 2026/27
Find the dates before choosing the funding
Use the official State Pension age checker and your forecast to establish when payments can begin and the amount you may receive. Dates differ by birth date and legislation can change. Stopping work does not make State Pension payable early.
For a couple, draw two timelines. There may be a period with no State Pension, another with one person's payments and a later period with both. A single shared start date can materially understate the gap.
Build the bridge one year at a time
For each year, record expected spending, earnings, pension income and other dependable income. The difference is the amount that savings or other available resources must supply. For the first and final years, count the actual months involved rather than automatically using full years.
Illustrative, not advice: £2,000 monthly spending minus £800 of monthly income leaves £1,200 to fund. Over five years, that is £72,000 if every amount remains constant. If the same gap lasts another six months, it requires another £7,200. These totals exclude inflation, investment returns, fees and any additional tax caused by pension withdrawals.
The figures are a starting worksheet. They do not establish how much invested money would be sufficient under changing market conditions.
Understand the resources being used
Possible resources include accessible savings, income from part-time work and private pensions that are available under their rules. Each has different tax, access and investment considerations. Spending a cash reserve reduces what remains for emergencies; taking money from an invested pension reduces what remains for later retirement.
Tax-free pension cash is part of the pension already accumulated. It is not an extra pot to count again. Taxable pension withdrawals can affect the tax payable in the year and may affect means-tested benefits. Check the consequences before treating a gross withdrawal as spendable cash.
Keep the later retirement budget alongside it
When State Pension begins, a spending gap can remain. Repeat the calculation for the following years, allowing for any other pensions that start later. Check whether an income estimate increases with inflation and whether your expenses are likely to change.
Our retirement income gap calculator compares the period before and after one State Pension start age. It uses before-tax figures, constant income assumptions and no investment growth, fees or inflation. It cannot fully model two different State Pension dates, benefit entitlement or a personalised retirement plan.
Common questions
Is the bridge simply my spending multiplied by the years?
Only if no other income is available and you ignore changing prices, tax and returns. A year-by-year shortfall is usually a clearer starting calculation.
Can a bridge calculation tell me when to retire?
It answers only one part of that question. You also need to examine income after the bridge, uncertainty, remaining assets and your pension rules.
Sources
Checked 7 October 2026. The linked sources are the authority for rules and eligibility.