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?

But tax covers a whole range of services which we all obviously have to pay, because at some point all of us will use st least some of those services. But national insurance is solely for pensions, so those of us not able to benefit from it should either be able to opt out or pay a reduced contribution. Especially if we are also having to pay increased private pension contributions.

It’s not solely for pensions. It originally included the NHS too I believe.

I don't care what any body says and it being a pension or a benefit.

I'm 55 and have worked all my life. I 've paid everything and claimed nothing.

That sodding alarm clock has gone off at 6am every day for decades.

I have paid 35 years of NI and will carry on paying years for no additional benefit.

When I get to 67 I want the full state pension until I die.

Totally agree with your POV, but the trouble with the "worked all my life" line is that it applies to most people. In fact it arguably applies more to people still working. I'm 41 and have worked all my life (well, since graduating). But that's a much higher proportion of my life than a 90-year-old who was able to retire in their 50s and then get a state pension from age 60! But plenty of people that age trot out the "worked all moy loyfe" line.

(I'm not saying that applies to you, just that the expression irritates me and is not quite the gotcha people think it is)

Less than half the people in this country are net contributors, the minority are paying for the majority to live. We have millions who are too sad, apparently, to work so they need to sit at home and be given a paycheque by the taxpayer.

Theres never been a time when the majority are net contributors. The issue is the demographics.

Yes here has. Until very recently actually.

I'm 55 and have worked all my life. I 've paid everything and claimed nothing.

So you weren’t educated here or ever used healthcare? That is paid for out of tax…

@Anniedash could you please link to that as everything i’ve read contradicts that?

You're being pedantic

I have never claimed any benefits.

Which part have seen contradictory evidence for?

You're being pedantic

Not really, the stuff I mentioned matters.

@Anniedash you said until recently the majority of the population were net contributors. I have only read the opposite.

Yes it does matter you're right.

But you don't have to make a claim for education or healthcare though. I view that as a right to all and I'm very happy for my taxes to pay for it. As I am for my taxes to be used to help those in genuine need as I want to live in a fair, compassionate and decent society.

Anyway I don't care. I've bought myself a full state pension. I damn well want it!

That's far from pedantic. It demonstrates the point quite neatly that people simply do not weigh up the cost they represent to the taxpayer in terms of medical treatment, education etc. Ultimately there is one pot of money. We all take vast, vast amounts of money from the pot whether or not we claim benefits.

@Leafy74 of course, they are things beneficial for individuals & wider society but when people take about net contributors (I know you didn’t say this) healthcare & education are included in that calculation. And then we haven’t even looked at the cost of defence & police. Basically very few people have paid for their state pension. Thats to be expected though & not an issue when you have a pyramid. in the 60s we had 5 workers to 1 pensioner, we are now at 3:1 & not far off 2:1. it’s why immigration hasn’t ever been tackled despite what governments pledge.

54% of households are net takers compared with just 43% in late 1990s.

Nu Labour ruined this country and made it a dependent welfare state, the consocialists continued the decimation during their time and Two tier and Rachel from accounts are busy setting fire to this dumpster.

Ultimately there is one pot of money. We all take vast, vast amounts of money from the pot whether or not we claim benefits.

This

The lack of free health care will soon balance out the problems with pension payments so I think we can all relax.

@Anniedash could you link to that? If there is an increase surely it’s due to an ageing population not more “benefit scroungers”?

Yes the organisation I volunteer for was overwhelmed with people want to claim pension credit (encouraged by the Government and my local Labour MP). It was clearly obvious that only a few would qualify once you took a cursory look at income. I think the mp must have been informed of this because he then started pushing attendance allowance on his Facebook updates.

This is a bit deceptive because there are loads of people who are 'working' and claiming benefits but are significantly underemployed. Eg a couple where each is working 18hrs per week with 2 children may be claiming a fair wedge in benefits and quite obviously at least one in a family should be working full time.

This statistic always bugs me

Without people who do those jobs that don't pay as much, or people who do things like caring, companies and high earning individuals couldn't do their jobs, couldn't get their food, healthcare, education etc.

We all contribute.

That statistic really pisses me off. Just see how long society lasted if the people who are "net takers" just said fuck it and stopped working.

https://fullfact.org/economy/are-half-british-households-burden-state/

“Across all income brackets, if you take out pensioners, the percentage of net recipients is 39.6% - not 53.4%. One could therefore argue that a big driver for the increase in the number of net recipients is the rise in the number of retired households”

A part, maybe a large part, must also be the mushrooming of in-work benefits as well surely? They didn’t exist really until the late 90s

I’m not disagreeing with most of what you said, but being pissed off at a statistic I think is very telling in the context of this conversation. A statistic is a fact. Not a political statement, a fact. Facts can be misinterpreted or taken out of context but your anger should be at the people doing that, not the fact itself.