A pensioner in her early 80s has spoken out against reported plans by Andy Burnham to replace the pension triple lock with an annual double lock, saying the change would leave pensioners like her struggling to cope with rising costs.
Writing for Metro, Christine Stowe expressed frustration at the Prime Minister's move, which she says guarantees the state pension rises each year by whichever is highest: 2.5% or inflation. Previously, it would rise by that 2.5% figure, inflation, or average wage growth – a safeguard she says was working fine for her and millions of others.
A personal issue for the PM
Stowe acknowledges that Burnham is looking to save money, in part to fund a new system of social care, but argues pensioners shouldn't bear the brunt of costs that the super rich could easily pay for. Burnham has said the issue is deeply personal to him after seeing the care system first-hand when his late father was living with Alzheimer's disease.
While she fully agrees that social care needs reform, Stowe says pensioners are right to complain. She notes that while some of her generation were lucky enough to have bought property that went up in value many times, they worked hard to afford those homes. She and her husband paid double-digit interest rates on their mortgage in the 1980s and early 1990s, making sacrifices to meet repayments.
Women hit hardest
Stowe says the image of older people using their money simply to top up spending on a cruise is wrong. She highlights that women are especially affected, as when she became a mother in the late 70s it was common for women to stop work to prioritise childcare, leaving gaps in pension contributions or lower earnings.
She worked from age 18 until her late 60s, stopping only for caring responsibilities. As a nursery nurse, she says the profession was not well-paid but valuable. She says she has never been extravagant, rarely eating out and buying some clothes in charity shops. Today she lives on the state pension plus a small inherited private one, which ironically pushed her slightly over the threshold for pension credit for some years, meaning she lost out on some benefits.
Rising costs
Stowe says price rises of recent years have hit pensioners hard. Her utilities are over £200 a month, with water at about £60 a month, phone and internet at £50 a month, and electricity averaging over £100 a month. Food bills probably come to another £200 a month, and simple pleasures like coffee and cake out with a friend now have to be a rare treat.
She acknowledges pensioners don't face some costs younger people face, such as raising children, and many have paid off mortgages. They get free bus travel and sometimes train travel, plus theatre and cinema discounts. But she notes even this modest support can't be guaranteed, citing limits placed in 2020 on free TV licenses for those over 75. TV can be a lifeline for elderly people who may be housebound or receive few visits.
Care costs
Stowe says other costs pop up that wouldn't have existed years ago, such as taxis for those with health or mobility issues. Pensioners also need properly heated homes, and while the winter fuel allowance helps, it doesn't cover it all.
She has first-hand experience of the care system, having looked after her husband through his decline with multiple sclerosis, gradually burning through modest savings paying for daily carer visits. Her experience leaves her in no doubt that social care has long needed more investment, but she questions why improving it should come at the expense of pensioners' financial security.
She says it angers her to hear politicians talk about taking support from one vulnerable group to fund another, and argues that younger people still have time to improve their futures, while pensioners don't. The triple lock gives pensioners vital stability, meaning that when economic shocks hit, they have some small measure of protection. Without it, she says many people of her age will be left struggling to deal with the rising cost of essentials.
