Help with math - calculating pension + Alpha

On track for a full flat rate state pension (at 68)

There is a high chance this will increase beyond 68 for her.

Also paying in the additional contributions (EPA) to take the pension 3 years earlier (as an option, knowing that if she defers taking that bit, it goes up and can be taken with the rest of her pension at 68 - but we don't know the rate of increase per year deferred)

I don't think the scheme publishes them, but it is pretty much irrelevant this far away and the factors change over time.

Question 1: IF she nothing changes between now and 68 (no pay rises, no new government policies, no new taxes)... what will she get?

(68-32)*£26,000*0.0232=£21,715.20

Which due to the EPA would be actuarially enhanced by, say, 4% p/a so about £24,321

If you assume that salary increases in line with prices then you can consider that value in today's money. However, salary increasing only in line with CPI over 36 years is extremely unlikely.

AND Question 2: (if you don't mind) is there anything she should/could be changing now to make her pension better (she was thinking about additional voluntary contributions - as well as the contributions for the 'early' pension but we aren't sure if this would have a downside)?

She could consider Added Pension purchase, or some form of Defined Contribution pension (AVC, SIPP, personal pension, Stakeholder Pension). I don't think she should consider any of them, and would even question the benefit of EPA contributions if she is homeless - I would think she needs the money more now?

That shocked us both. I was thinking £90k and forgot about the power of interest

£12K of interest over 36 years is hardly powerful, especially when you take into account the erosion of purchasing power by inflation. 2% inflation each year for 36 years would more than halve the purchasing power, so that £112,000 would have a real value of about £55,000.

at the moment she's homeless (in my spare room) and he ex is trying his best to keep her that way.

In that case, I very much doubt additional pension contributions are a priority right now, unless money is not an issue.

ETA - just thinking, have we both left out the additional payments she's currently making (Not sure what the EPA accrual rate is?)

EPA accrual rate is same as alpha - EPA just means you get what you would have got at State Pension age three years earlier.

She's not a natural risk taker (especially with the rest of the uncertainty she's going through at the moment).

She would be taking a spectacular risk investing in cash for 36 years. That strategy wins in almost no scenarios compared with just about any investment strategy involving investment risk, be it low risk bonds or equities. The risk-bearing assets will almost certainly out-perform cash over such a long period.