Page 3 | To think we can't afford the triple lock

paddleboardingmum · 2026-09-15T07:47:31+00:00

Things seem very weighted against young people right now in terms of tax, student loans, and then there's the cost of mortgages and childcare. I know there are some older people struggling and I do feel sorry for them. But plenty are not and I think we just can't afford the triple lock at the moment. AIBU

Katypp · 19/09/2026 06:12

Differentforgirls · 19/09/2026 06:03

Which people pay into.

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You're still not getting it.

strawberrybubblegum · 19/09/2026 06:09

Differentforgirls · 19/09/2026 05:45

The unemployed?

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The unemployed don't contribute any tax - it's true. Most people see that as a cost we need to accept.

However, even those who contribute nothing in taxes will still effectively pay the price, since the generational liability of paying for the previous generation's unfunded consumption will result in fewer state services and benefits.

Differentforgirls · 19/09/2026 06:03

Katypp · 19/09/2026 06:00

I said LG and public sector pensions.

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Which people pay into.

Katypp · 19/09/2026 06:00

Differentforgirls · 19/09/2026 05:57

Neither nurses or teachers pay into LG pensions.

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I said LG and public sector pensions.

Differentforgirls · 19/09/2026 05:57

Katypp · 19/09/2026 05:54

People who receive LG or public sector pensions always defend them to the hilt.
We've been brainwashed into thinking their jobs are poorly-paid and uniquely stressful so they 'deserve' the high pension and early retirement as compensation.
That's why whenever teaching (starting salary £34k) or nursing (starting salary £32k) is discussed, posters are always adamant they are underpaid, even those not in the profession themselves. I think a lot if people aren't even aware of the pay tbh and it's just a knee-jerk reaction (ie brainwashed)
For context, i am in a professional job with 40 years experience, and i get paid £38,500.
Braced for get another job and race to the bittom comments, neither of which address my point

Edited

Neither nurses or teachers pay into LG pensions.

Katypp · 19/09/2026 05:54

People who receive LG or public sector pensions always defend them to the hilt.
We've been brainwashed into thinking their jobs are poorly-paid and uniquely stressful so they 'deserve' the high pension and early retirement as compensation.
That's why whenever teaching (starting salary £34k) or nursing (starting salary £32k) is discussed, posters are always adamant they are underpaid, even those not in the profession themselves. I think a lot if people aren't even aware of the pay tbh and it's just a knee-jerk reaction (ie brainwashed)
For context, i am in a professional job with 40 years experience, and i get paid £38,500.
Braced for get another job and race to the bittom comments, neither of which address my point

Differentforgirls · 19/09/2026 05:45

strawberrybubblegum · 19/09/2026 05:36

Well that certainly explains why you're unwilling to see how wrong it is. Along with your own LG pension of course.

It isn't actually a sensible argument for burdening the nation with an unsustainable intergenerational liability though, is it? Just because your children will benefit from it

Let me rephrase.

It's our children - those who don't take part in the gravy train - who will pay for it.

Edited

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The unemployed?

strawberrybubblegum · 19/09/2026 05:36

Differentforgirls · 18/09/2026 19:12

Both my children will get LG pensions.

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Well that certainly explains why you're unwilling to see how wrong it is. Along with your own LG pension of course.

It isn't actually a sensible argument for burdening the nation with an unsustainable intergenerational liability though, is it? Just because your children will benefit from it

Let me rephrase.

It's our children - those who don't take part in the gravy train - who will pay for it.

11AndCounting · 18/09/2026 21:54

paddleboardingmum · 18/09/2026 21:25

That's sad @Tedsnan1 I really don't think anybody on here wants to cut PIP but stand corrected if one poster has said that, definitely not most people's view and certainly not mine. Things sound very difficult for you and I wish there was more support.

Nor is the thread about cutting pensions either, simply about how the triple lock is calculated ie how the yearly increase is calculated going forwards.

She was literally replying to a post that said PIP should be cut significantly, and I do recall a couple of other posts that supported reducing the non-pensioner portion of benefits rather than the state pension.

@Batsratscatsgnats , the PP obviously isn't a pensioner - they're responding to those who want to protect the ongoing use of the triple lock by cutting other benefits instead.

Batsratscatsgnats · 18/09/2026 21:28

XenoBitch · 18/09/2026 20:26

It feels like that on here.

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Both of these posts are absolutely ridiculous. Literally nobody has suggested killing anyone off. Why are you making stuff up? All that people on this thread have been pushing for is for pensions to lose their triple lock. Its a pretty far stretch from that to lets kill all pensioners FFS

Differentforgirls · 18/09/2026 21:28

Katypp · 18/09/2026 19:40

Look around you.
The only people i know who retired early (55ish) are either people with no children who could load cash into their pension throughout their working life or public sector workers.

Actually. My mum worked in a hearing aid factory. Private. She retired at 50 on half her salary as a pension.

Original poster

paddleboardingmum · 18/09/2026 21:25

That's sad @Tedsnan1 I really don't think anybody on here wants to cut PIP but stand corrected if one poster has said that, definitely not most people's view and certainly not mine. Things sound very difficult for you and I wish there was more support.

Nor is the thread about cutting pensions either, simply about how the triple lock is calculated ie how the yearly increase is calculated going forwards.

OP posts:

Differentforgirls · 18/09/2026 21:25

Katypp · 18/09/2026 19:38

Correct. I certainly begrudge it.
@Differentforgirls how much did your employer contribute?
I get 3%

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Can’t remember. Sorry.

Differentforgirls · 18/09/2026 21:20

Thinkofnewthings · 18/09/2026 19:31

But that’s how it is for those in the private sector too. What do you mean?

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Ask the person who makes personal remarks about people’s income.

Papyrophile · 18/09/2026 20:53

Plus the investment successes, of course.

Papyrophile · 18/09/2026 20:52

Be grateful that your employer contributed money to your pension. If you were self-employed, you will only be able to take out what you put in, plus a bit of tax rebate.

Katypp · 18/09/2026 20:42

BIossomtoes · 18/09/2026 20:29

The top civil servants push the average up. You won’t be getting a huge pension even after 40 years if you worked in the lower echelons.

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Define huge.
If you worked in a low-skilled job for 40 years, you pension won't be huge objectively but will certainly be far bigger than someone working in a similar role in the public sector.

Thinkofnewthings · 18/09/2026 20:33

BIossomtoes · 18/09/2026 20:29

The top civil servants push the average up. You won’t be getting a huge pension even after 40 years if you worked in the lower echelons.

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But you still get 23% roughly of contributions, unlike the 6% that private sector people get. And many of those work in the lower echelons, or part time too. That’s the objection.

Beece · 18/09/2026 20:31

Public sector contributions by employers are over 3 x more generous than private sector employers, and yet the government tops up these underfunded contributions still higher. https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/public-sector-pensions

They are ripe for reform.

Public sector pensions | Institute for Government

How do public sector pensions work and how are they funded?

https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/public-sector-pensions

BIossomtoes · 18/09/2026 20:29

Beece · 18/09/2026 20:26

What’s the average proportion of your private salary that a civil servant gets after working 40 years?

I get a civil service pension for the 4 years of my career that I worked there which isn’t much but this is part of what drags the average civil service pension down. People not staying there for their full careers. If you worked 40 years the pensions are huge.

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The top civil servants push the average up. You won’t be getting a huge pension even after 40 years if you worked in the lower echelons.

XenoBitch · 18/09/2026 20:26

Tedsnan1 · 18/09/2026 19:17

I'm unable to work at all due to physical and cognitive dysfunction. Last winter I had no heating on, and am planning the same this year. If PIP is cut at all, never mind significantly, then I won't be eating either, or paying my tv licence, or able to afford a phone or Internet which keep me connected to the world. Many others will be similarly affected. Is this your plan, to just kill us all off?

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It feels like that on here.

Beece · 18/09/2026 20:26

BIossomtoes · 18/09/2026 19:52

Vast? They might be vast for mandarins but for women the average pension is now £7,502 a year, and for men it is £13,513. The overall average Civil Service pension in payment is £9,874 a year, well below the basic tax threshold.

https://www.cspa.co.uk/news/civil-service-pensions-set-to-rise-by-6-7-from-april-as-cpi-inflation-confirmed/

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What’s the average proportion of your private salary that a civil servant gets after working 40 years?

I get a civil service pension for the 4 years of my career that I worked there which isn’t much but this is part of what drags the average civil service pension down. People not staying there for their full careers. If you worked 40 years the pensions are huge.

BIossomtoes · 18/09/2026 20:24

11AndCounting · 18/09/2026 20:15

It comes from a user comment on the King's Fund website, not from the King's Fund itself.

Tony
"NHS budget £188,500,000,000 of which 49% goes on staff salaries. (£92,365,000,000) - divide that by 1.5million staff & you get an average salary of £61,576. Also out of £188.5billion, 25% goes to pay pensions, so you can see staff costs equate to the best part of 75% of the COMPLETE NHS budget. How long can this continue before the country goes broke."

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Thank you. I was right - your research skills are better than mine.

11AndCounting · 18/09/2026 20:15

BIossomtoes · 18/09/2026 20:11

I thought the same but it apparently comes from the King’s Fund. I guess it’s more credible if it includes all employers’ contributions for current staff and pensions in payment, although there would be some double counting involved.

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It comes from a user comment on the King's Fund website, not from the King's Fund itself.

Tony
"NHS budget £188,500,000,000 of which 49% goes on staff salaries. (£92,365,000,000) - divide that by 1.5million staff & you get an average salary of £61,576. Also out of £188.5billion, 25% goes to pay pensions, so you can see staff costs equate to the best part of 75% of the COMPLETE NHS budget. How long can this continue before the country goes broke."

BIossomtoes · 18/09/2026 20:11

11AndCounting · 18/09/2026 20:03

AI seems to be pulling that from an erroneous user comment.

The Kings' Fund doesn't give a breakdown of how much is spent on each type of remuneration, just a total of 50% for all forms.

The government source I posted earlier gives the ~7% figure for pensions.

And, respectfully, 25% of the budget on pensions doesn't really seem to pass the smell test.

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I thought the same but it apparently comes from the King’s Fund. I guess it’s more credible if it includes all employers’ contributions for current staff and pensions in payment, although there would be some double counting involved.