We will fight Nick Clegg's 'granny wealth tax', say Tories He said the plans would punish people who have saved all their lives in the hope of an easier retirement. "We don't want to be means-testing pensioners in this way, because the people who actually save money, set aside, try and do the right thing - they're punished," he said. And it sends out completely the wrong message, destroys incentives and means there's no incentive for people to save for their own retirement - that's why we don't want to means-test these benefits. However, Frank Field, a Labour MP and Downing Street adviser on poverty, said Nick Clegg's plans do not go far enough. He said universal benefits for pensioners are "unsustainable" and predicted spending on the state pension and elderly care will be the next areas to be cut back. People should get benefits - whether pensions or NHS treatment - based on their contributions, the MP said. However, Mr Field said it would be better to raise the age limit for benefits rather than force pensioners to endure means-testing. "The idea that people pick up their bus passes at 60 when most people work towards 70 is absurd," he said. Yesterday Nick Clegg said better-off pensioners should be stripped of their taxpayer-funded benefits because they are difficult to justify at a time of widespread spending cuts. The Deputy Prime Minister said giving free television licences, winter fuel payments and free bus passes to everyone was increasingly "difficult to explain." He called on well-off pensioners to help "make ends meet" by surrendering the handouts, warning it was not fair that Lord Sugar, the tycoon, for example, should be entitled to receive state assistance. The Liberal Democrat leader pledged to continue to support universal benefits for the elderly, worth hundreds of pounds per person every year, until 2015 but suggested that the handouts are then reconsidered. A Lib Dem health minister also indicated yesterday that the elderly would face paying higher taxes to fund their care in old age under reforms to be introduced later in the decade. The Coalition has ruled out the means-testing of so-called universal benefits for the over-65s until at least after the next election. David Cameron is opposed to stripping pensioners of any benefits and is wary of any measures which are seen to be aimed at the elderly. If we can get something like this implemented now, then that would be better.