Labour's Andrew Little is backing away from his suggestion that over 65 years old will have their pension cut if they remain in the workforce.

Mr Little made it when speaking to a Wellington audience and he now accepts he may have given the wrong impression.

"If I communicated something that suggested that there was some sort of winding down, easing, diluted - whatever. That's not what I intended and I take responsibility for that.

"If I have given an unclear message, what I am now doing is giving a clear message - that we stand for universal super."