A Labour Party pressure group is urging Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to allow “rich, well-off” pensioners to opt out of the UK state pension for more than three years in exchange for a ceremonial honour.
According to the reports, the group proposes that pensioners who opt out would be offered a “Pensions Sacrifice OBE” and says the idea could help address growing pressure on public finances. The proposal is framed as voluntary, targeting only those described as higher-earning or better-off pensioners, and would run for at least three years.
The coverage highlights the political nature of the suggestion: the group’s call is directed at Burnham and is presented as Labour-internal pressure rather than an established government policy. While the outlets describe the same central concept, they present it primarily as an advocacy proposal, rather than detailing how it would be implemented, funded, or legally structured, or whether any ministerial or parliamentary support exists.
