"Work for free or lose pension for THREE years"

From The Daily Mail:

Work unpaid or lose all your state pension for three years - this is the new message from the government to the long-term retired. Employment minister Chris Grayling said he is convinced a new 'work for pension' scheme would help to reduce Britain's £100 billion pensions bill.

Those who refuse to take part in the scheme, which would see those who have been in retirement for more than three years work unpaid for six months, would not receive any pension money for up to three years. Under the proposals unpaid work is likely to be up to 30 hours a week of community activities.

One pilot scheme offering mandatory jobs for the retired revealed many claimants would rather give up their pensions than turn up for work. In fact one Whitehall source told The Sunday Times that up to 20 per cent of pensioners offered 'mandatory work activity' refused to accept compulsory jobs and another 30 per cent failed to turn up.

But Grayling insists the scheme is to help rather than punish. He said: "This will help people who are struggling to get back into the labour market to be involved in full-time community activity for 30 hours a week. The alternative is to leave people sitting at home on the state pension doing nothing."