Tories and Labour mooting possible means testing of State Pension

[Turmerictolly]

www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jan/17/kemi-badenoch-pensions-triple-lock-means-test-alarm-tories

I would be so gutted if this happened but there's noise from both parties about this recently. I think it might be inevitable. What will happen to those of us nearing 60 who have made plans that include the full state pension we've paid contributions for?

Exactly. Asking people to top up their NI now in order to get full state pension only to fundamentally change the rules at a later date is political suicide and will tie any government up in court action for years.

Utterly shit. We've paid national "insurance" ie premiums for years and now they're threatening to not pay out'

Absolutely, and people need to stop saying it’s the pensioners who will change who they vote for. I’m a good 27+ years off state pension age and I’ll be first in line to protest.

The Daily Telegraph- can't link as I don't have a share token.

So you work your arse off and pay your bloody tax and NI, and save to pay off your mortgage and then you get stuffed because you’ve worked your arse off and saved.

Why bother?

It should be means tested backwards. You get it if you earn it. If you’ve sat on your arse for forty years and done nothing you get nothing.

We need to stop people taking advantage of the system. Maybe if we fix this we’d have the money to look after the genuine disabled.

The triple lock is unsustainable. So I took it to mean they would means test the increase to the pension not the whole pension. But of course that would mean gradually eroding the value of the basic pension for richer people.

I'm happy to not get a state pension but I want my national insurance contributions back. I'm tired of propping up the lazy and feckless.

Honestly I’m sick to death of everything nowadays. We are middle earners and just above the threshold for absolutely everything it seems but not flush as a family and money is tight. Pay a fortune in tax and schools/roads/NHS are crap. I’m an NHS worker and have effectively taken a pay cut year on year due to freezes and tiny pay rises. I have no doubt by the time I’m old the pension will be means tested or gone, there will be no free prescriptions, no free travel or any of the things previous pensioners have enjoyed.
We are moving abroad this year. It’s bullshit.

Exactly

Of course it's a suggestion but they're sewing the seed. We know this will have to be on the table at some point, the Uk can't afford it not to be but I really hope us older folk who've paid in for over 30 years are not going to be screwed over like the Waspi women.

I don’t disagree, but I think we can all agree that the government can’t afford to bankroll this level of ROI indefinitely now we’re living for so much longer. I can’t see them suddenly announcing that SP will be means tested next year. They would have to introduce this over decades, and ensure that people aren’t disincentivised from paying into a private pension.

But people react similarly around private pensions too. We see on here all the time, posters who ask how much income they’ll get from a £50k pension pot and they’re astounded to discover it will be about £38 a week. They were expecting to get something close to a liveable salary. We need to understand that contributing a few quid a week isn’t going to magically produce an enormous income in retirement (whether that’s NI contributions or private pension contributions) even with interest.

Exactly.

The government seems to bankroll people who should be working but aren't. Look at this first

That's what makes me frustrated

Means tested = I spend all my hard earned savings. I’ve lived frugally for years & done without so I will just buy a new car & get a conservatory & claim UC or whatever else I can.

Agreed, financial planning really needs to be taught at school.

I have financially planned. Based on what I was led to believe. I was told I would get SP if I paid my full NI contributions, which I have. I have saved to top this up. What more could I have done?

In retirement, all I want to be able to do is pay my bills, go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week, eat as healthily as I can, strum my guitar, grow a few veggies in my garden. I also would like to go visit my Mum, who lives 200 miles away, 2 or 3 times a year. Maybe go camping in France 2 or 3 times a year as I am semi fluent in French. That's it. I can live without a car. This is what I have worked for.

Means testing makes no difference if the threshold is high. Why should millionaires recieve a state benefit when they don't need it?

It's the slippery slope. Millionaires have paid in, they are entitled to a state pension. If they don't want it, they can choose not to apply for it.

Can you give some more information about what Labour have said and who said it as I've not seen that. Not the telegraph as I don't trust their reporting on Labour.

But how will they test? I am not a high earner but DH and I have a home worth 600k. That seems a lot but we r in an area of the country where house prices are high. We hope to have paid off the mortgage by the time we retire (if we can ever retire). But I bet the means test will be based on assets so.instrad of being able to stay in the home we've worked hard for and receiev our state pension, we will no doubt now have to sell our home and live off that money instead. Which is not fair

This is what I fear.

We were told if we paid full NI contributions we would get SP. I have budgeted for this. I’ve saved enough to top
up what I was told I would get. How can anyone now be ‘fine’ that they could be means tested?!

@Turmerictolly they are not half gunning for the persioners, are they?????