Claim: “Nigel Farage wrote a Telegraph op-ed calling for means-tested pensions.”

Verdict: False

Overview

In late April 2025, a screenshot began circulating on social media claiming to show a Telegraph opinion piece written by Nigel Farage. The image included the Telegraph logo and layout and claimed that Farage was calling for pensions to become means-tested to reduce public spending. Within hours it was being reposted on X, Facebook and Telegram, often accompanied by angry reactions accusing Farage of betraying older voters.

No such article was ever published. The image was fabricated and designed to look like a genuine Telegraph page, but every element of it was fake. Independent fact-checking organisations and the Telegraph itself confirmed that no such piece existed.

How the fake article appeared

The screenshot first appeared on 29 April 2025. It mimicked the Telegraph’s headline font and colour scheme, but several features gave it away as an imitation. The layout did not match the newspaper’s standard opinion format. The byline was set in the wrong typeface, and there was no “Comment & Analysis” banner, which normally appears above Telegraph opinion articles.

Technical data associated with the image showed it had been created using a free online design tool rather than the Telegraph’s publishing system. A reverse image search also revealed parts of the layout copied from an unrelated template freely available online.

Despite these signs, thousands of users accepted the image as genuine and shared it without question. A small number of parody accounts later admitted they reposted it “to test media literacy,” but by then the screenshot had spread far beyond its original context.

Findings from fact-checkers

Both Reuters and Full Fact examined the claim between 29 and 30 April 2025. Each found that the Telegraph had never published an article resembling the image. The story is absent from print archives, website indexes, and web caches. Investigators also confirmed that the sub-headline text was lifted from an unrelated economics article published weeks earlier.

Reuters described the image as “digitally created to resemble a Telegraph webpage.” Full Fact wrote that the screenshot was “entirely fabricated and misleading.” Both warned that impersonations of trusted media are increasingly used in political misinformation campaigns.

Sources:

Why the story gained traction

The false headline struck a chord because pensions are deeply emotive politically, and Farage has cultivated a persona as a defender of pensioners. The claim that he sought to introduce means-testing appeared to betray that image and gave critics a potent hook to share it widely.

By presenting the story as if it came from a respected newspaper, those who created the fake image bypassed much initial scepticism. It spread more quickly than the real fact-checks published afterward. Analytics from X (formerly Twitter) suggest the screenshot generated over a million impressions before correction links reached a much smaller audience.

Reaction from Farage and Reform UK

Nigel Farage did not personally share the fake article, and neither he nor his party issued a prompt clarification. Supporters continued reposting the image, some treating it as evidence that the “mainstream media” were targeting him unfairly.

Observers later noted that the absence of an explicit, visible correction allowed the false narrative to linger longer than it should have. It underscores a broader pattern: benefiting from ambiguity while resisting accountability for misinformation tied to one’s name or brand.

Broader pattern of disinformation

This fake Telegraph op-ed is one among several cases in 2025 where fabricated graphics mimicked major media outlets to lend false stories apparent legitimacy. Similar formats have imitated BBC, Sky News, and other national outlets. Analysts refer to the technique as “pseudo-authentic branding.”

Farage’s high profile makes him a frequent target or beneficiary of such content. Whether or not he is personally involved, the repeated circulation of false material strengthens distorted narratives around him and amplifies media attention.

How readers can verify

Readers can protect themselves by checking for a working URL, and verifying that the article exists on the publication’s official site. Screenshots lacking navigation menus, timestamps, or browser chrome should be treated with scepticism. A reverse image search can often reveal reused or manipulated graphics.

In an election cycle, speed often trumps scrutiny. These verification habits are essential to avoid being misled by visuals designed to misinform.