Perhaps Labour leadership might take note of his ideas if he explained to them what a "shalareh" is?

Bad idea is different than ‘stupid’, no? My point supported yours; discussion is encouraged. Insults are not.

Anyway… carry on with the orthodoxy, everyone! 👏

Means test on pot size then.

This is the problem with political discourse nowadays. Can’t just have discussions. Ideas are either good if you agree or very stupid.

It’s clearly not a stupid idea.

Shall we cease means testing other state benefits? Give everyone universal credit maximum etc?

People who disagree with means testing the state pension must also disagree with means testing other state benefits.

Should the UK grant Universal Credit at the full amount, with its annual uprating, to all who apply?

Child Benefit income thresholds to be scrapped?

Pension contribution limits?

NICs shNICs… it’s all “tax”. We all pay into a system. We don’t “pay into a state pension” - it’s a misnomer that governments really need to correct to start to get themselves out of a hole. Simplify the tax system. We means test other benefits, why not the main benefit we grant the elderly?

Also, we’re empirically not a wealthy nation. Difficult choices need to be made. Unfortunately the choices successive governments have made have not been sufficiently ‘difficult’, with consistent avoidance and can-kicking of proper reforms.

Nobody has been paying into a state pension for decades. People pay into the tax system. They qualify for the state pension benefit (not a right, not a personal piggy bank) if they achieve number of years. This proven by a consultant vs nurse “paying in” diff amounts but getting same state pension.

Reduce the triple lock, stop state pension for the wealthiest, and means test/taper the rest - that all adds up to tens of £billions of savings.

State pension needs to have the earnings element of the lock removed, and it needs to be means tested. I know of a handful of pensioners of ex-oil employment on £70k annual income from their private pots. They do not need the state pension. Arguably, any 65 year old with a £30k SIPP income doesn’t.