Andy Burnham has been accused of "attacking pensioners" by Reform UK after proposing changes to the State Pension triple lock from April 2030 in a money-saving bid. Reform UK MP for Runcorn and Helsby Sarah Pochin delivered her five-word verdict on the Prime Minister, saying "he has attacked the pensioners".
Under the proposed changes, the State Pension will still contain three parts: inflation, earnings growth and 2.5%. However, the new mechanism means that each year the payment will instead increase by the maximum of CPI inflation, 2.5%, or the amount needed to ensure the State Pension keeps up with average earnings growth since the introduction of the new policy, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).
Savings to fund National Care Service
Burnham said the savings under the adjusted triple lock will be used to fund a new National Care Service, providing free personal care for older people, based on need rather than ability to pay.
Speaking to the Express, Pochin said: "Reform absolutely backs retaining the triple lock." She continued: "I think it says an awful lot about our Prime Minister that he has gone straight after pensioners. He's attacked the pensioners, many of whom have worked all their lives, and are now seeing their pensions that will not increase by the amount it should increase under the triple lock."
Funding gap questioned
Pochin also questioned the financial viability of the plan, saying: "He will raise about £4billion from cancelling the triple lock, but we know his scheme for adult social free adult social care is going to cost north of £20billion pounds. So where's the difference coming from?"
Defending his proposal, Burnham told the BBC "this is about helping pensioners" who are "at risk of paying ruinous care costs", giving them "more ability to protect homes and savings". He said it was not right to suggest he had scrapped the triple lock, but instead he had "changed" it. He said the link between pensions and inflation, earnings or 2.5% will be retained, but earnings "should be considered over a longer time frame, not every year".
Rising pension costs
The triple lock is a contentious topic as the UK's pension bill spirals. The UK Government was set to spend £146.1billion in State Pension payments in 2025 to 2026. But the guarantee, which ensures the State Pension increases by inflation, earnings growth, or 2.5%, had driven spending up further, according to figures from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
The State Pension now (2025–26) costs the Government £12billion more per year than if it had been uprated in line with average earnings since 2011, its figures showed.
