Andy Burnham is facing mounting fury over plans to axe the triple lock as tens of thousands of people have signed a petition against the move. Campaign group Silver Voices relaunched its petition after the Prime Minister announced changes to the policy after the next general election to help pay for his social care reform.
Proposed changes to state pension
Under Mr Burnham’s proposals, the state pension would rise each year by inflation or 2.5%, with the automatic link with increases in average earnings dropped. But 30,000 people have signed Silver Voices’ petition in just over a week in a sign of anger over the plans.
Campaigners' response
Silver Voices director Dennis Reed said: "Older people have seen through the ‘deal’ offered by Andy Burnham - ‘adjust the triple lock and I will give you free social care’.
"In fact, many think social care reform was only used as an excuse to get rid of the triple lock, which key Labour advisers like Torsten Bell MP have always hated.
"This pathetic ruse is being shown up by the thousands joining our standard. £15 billion will be saved by this so-called adjustment, all of it pinched from pensioners' pockets, from the pensions we have paid for.
"In return, we may get a version of social care available now in Scotland, which is certainly not free, and we may have to wait until the mid-2030s to get even that.
"It is a pig in the poke deal and Labour needs to rethink before they are overwhelmed by the electoral consequences."
Arguments for and against
Critics argue that the triple lock is unaffordable in the long-term, but those in favour insist it is needed to protect pensioners against the rising cost of living.
In his Labour conference speech, Mr Burnham said: "This change will generate significant savings which we will use to build up our National Care Service. Some may not realise it but older people with nothing more than the state pension, or only a little more, can find themselves paying care changes today from that small income. Under my plan, this will no longer happen."
The Daily Express has a long-running crusade to protect the state pension triple lock.
