‘Don’t bother calling me to make that argument…’ James O’Brien debunks this 'pointless and false myth’ about the triple lock.

Nobody thinks their NI is sitting in a box with their name on it. That’s not the argument. People paid in for years because the state told them that’s how the pension works. Calling that a “pointless myth” is just a way of not answering whether we can still afford the triple lock.

Don’t bother ringing me because I disagree with you and can’t rationally debate anything

I entered a contract with the state that I would contribute NI in return for a state Pension, I contributed for 50yrs. I kept my side of the bargain.

What's the point in ringing in and debating this fascist. Soon as someone makes a point he can't rebuke, he just mutes their call and carries on completely ignoring the point made and acting like he won the debate.

What an absolute Baffoon, so why couldn’t we opt out of paying for a future pension whilst working and save that money in a private fund , your arguement holds no water , and had we been able to opt then all the dead people would have died earlier , plank of the highest order 😳

James O’Brexit the guy who works for a company that doesn’t pay tax in the UK

I thought the whole point of this guy was to pretend to be on the side of the vulnerable, he’s now saying old people who get 13k a year should start paying inflation tax? The triple lock isn’t keeping up with food and fuel as it is, lots of old people are in trouble!!!

Sorry James Like a lot of your views But lets face it You probably won’t rely on a state pension ?

Nothing personal or any disrespect for someone I have a lot of time for, but as a radio presenter on a salary most of us can only dream about and with no doubt a sizeable private pension to look forward to, are you well placed to call for the removal of the triple lock?

The people they were paying the pensions of are probably dead and during the 80s the rate of relative poverty was a whopping 40% amongst those same pensioners, and the majority of today's pensioners voted for Thatcher's Tories who curtailed state pension increases during the 80s.

James will not find any fault in whatever Burnham proposes. He’s a Burnham fan boy.

Does patronising folk make James feel smart and important?

James O’Brien is wrong, as usual, that there’s “no pot”. The National Insurance Fund exists. The latest GAD review shows the balance is healthy, rising through 2030-31, and needs no extra money from general government spending. The real argument is different. Should the state pension get an automatic 2.5% rise every year, even when inflation and earnings are lower? No. Compound 2.5% is unaffordable over time. Link it to inflation and average pay only a twin lock. Have the correct debate.

Why is it always that the pensioners who have to suffer?

A rather nasty cynical condescending approach. To debunk YOUR argument if what you say is true - then if what you paid in years ago was used to pay the pensioners at that time - then logically it is the obligation of current national insurance payers to pay for current pensions

I might have known this twat would support axing the triple-lock!

The government is still emailing me and advising me on their website to top up my NICs so that I get the maximum SP. Means-testing will stop me getting the SP so isn't this a case of bait and switch? Compromise - refund the pension portion of my NICs with interest.

What has gone up more, wages, inflation or Pensions. See below, . PENSIONS., Purely in terms of maths, this cannot continue and needs addressing.

But this is not what the public were told or how the system was originally set up. It was a nationalised insurance system, with contributions or NI was meant to pay towards the NHS, the welfare system & to be invested for pensions, even if the investment was into infrastructure.

This knob cheese would support Labour if they went full on euthanising pensioners at retirement age.

Of course there's a pension pot......where do you think they borrow money from?

Why is everyone going after pensioners? When my parents retired 20 odd yrs ago I don’t remember any convos around how much they will get We were happy for them to put their feet up and relax. Dad died 4 yrs after he retired he worked hard all his life

a whole lot of boomers are going to be absolutely livid about this simply because they don't understand it properly.

We have an extremely rare occasion where James is actually right. Must be the end times.

James we've worked all our lives paying tax. We get worst pensions in Europe and have the highest utility bills and cost of living in the world

Reminder James, someone is currently paying for your future pension!!

Yes, pensions are a big cost, but we receive one of the worst state pensions in Europe

Er you host a phone in show so telling people not to phone in if they disagree with you is a bit daft oh wait the lefties now rule the UK with an iron rod 😡agree or be cancelled

Its an incredible take to say we cant afford this but then at the same time announce we're giving more money away to people who have never been to the UK before let alone live here. This government are simply out of touch.

The money paid in is ring fenced and standing at a surplus of £60 Billion at the moment. It’s how it has always worked.

#LABOUR & #ATLEE set up the state pension they now complain about The system based on social solidarity-money paid in NI would explicitly be paid by today's workers pay for today's pensioners But in 2026 less people are working & being paid benefits to stay at home The problem?

We all wish nobody would call you then they can take you off the air permanently.

How patronising are you? Do you think we’re that daft that we don’t know that? It’s sad that you think you’re being funny with your Harry Potter references. As pensioners now, we have a reasonable expectation that we get our state pension without ridicule.

The bits that are rarely mentioned is that around 35 billion of NIC paid each year goes to NHS each year, 25 billion more since Reeves increased employer's rate. Some of NIC goes to pay for legacy JSA and ESA as well as maternity, bereavement and guardian's allowances.