More than 10,700 sign petition urging DWP to end pension means-testing and boost State Pension

An online petition has garnered the support of more than 10,700 individuals, who are "demanding" that the UK Government put an end to the "degrading and humiliating practice" of means-testing pensioners. The creator of the petition, Michael Thompson, is also advocating for a rise in all State Pension payments, although he stops short of suggesting a specific increase amount.

Hosted on the UK Government's petitions-parliament website, the 'stop means testing pensioners and increase the State Pension' petition is now due to receive a formal reply from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Should it reach 100,000 signatures, the matter would be up for consideration by the Petitions Committee for a potential debate in Parliament.

The petition states: "We demand the government stop means-testing pensioners, that we think is a degrading and humiliating practice. We also think the State Pension should be increased."

Mr Thompson further comments on how the media depicts pensioners as a strain on the NHS and welfare system, contending that the elderly deserve "entitled to a decent pension and a comfortable lifestyle as many will have already paid into the system for longer than the rest of the population by now" especially since many have contributed to the system for a considerable period, likely more than the rest of the population.

He adds: "We believe any Government should have a responsibility toward our nation's elderly people. In the Victorian era, retirement was often only an option for those who had accrued wealth. Are we regressing back to those Dickensian times? We believe means-testing is an abhorrent practice that is demeaning and intrusive."

The full petition can be viewed on the petitions-parliament website.