The Pensions Triple Lock has to go

[Flammkuchen]

When it was introduced, the aim of the Triple Lock was to increase pensions faster than earnings as the state pension was low. The TL has been very successful: pensioners now have a higher standard of living and more disposable income than working families. A pensioner couple each getting the full state pension receive £20k per year, with any private pension income on top.

This is great for them, but it comes with a trade-off. In order to increase pensions by over 10% a year, there is less money to pay nurses, teachers or doctors. Highly skilled public sector workers have low pay and there is a recruitment crisis.

AIBU to think that now that on average pensioners have higher disposable income than those in work, a policy that aims to increase pensioner income by MORE than average earnings - and so keep increasing the income of pensioner households faster than working households - needs to be rethought? Even just linking the state pension to average earnings would be better.

Oh dear, maybe your grandparents should have died years ago then, to suit your needs, I hope they don’t leave you a penny you miserable oik!

Let’s get the facts right.Regarding state pensions,my parents contributions payed for their parents state pension,my contributions payed for my parents state pension and now my childrens contributions pay for my state pension.This is how it works each generation contributes to the previous generations state pension.So not faceless people.Rather than demonise pensioners have a look at all the people choosing to work part time so they can get UC with all the benefits that brings.

The teachers strikes that started in the early 80s that went on for years disrupted education massively

I was there, and no they didn't go on for years, unless you mean one strike in 198X and another in 198Y. They ere one -day strikes and no they did not massively disrupt education.

@FuckMyLife2022

My other Grandmother, who never worked a day in her life, lives in a fully funded one bedroom apartment (in a complex for pensioners), tiny bills, gets approx 2.5K a month in pension/related benefits

I would be relent interested to know what these benefits are? My dad gets his rent paid and his state pension and nothing else, apart from the winter fuel money of £200 (extra £300 this year) but he doesn't even get £1k a month never mind £2.5. Where is he going wrong?

I would be relent interested to know what these benefits are? My dad gets his rent paid and his state pension and nothing else.

Nothing else ? If only income is State Pension, will be eibible for Council Tax benefit, Winter Fuel Allowance £500 (£600 over 80), Warm Homes Discount £150, free prescriptions, free tv licence (if over 75), and eligible for 'social tariff' water and phone/internet connection, free bus/rail/tram/ferry travel (depends where one lives).

Not everyone has the chance to work hard and save....my mum was a nurse aged 21 she lifted a patient who was bleeding to death...she would spend months in traction at a time while her children went to foster care, my dad would work 50 hour weeks ....a design engineer... When my brother was pushed off a bus going into a coma my dad went from work to one hospital then another...my mum would collapse when a nerve got pinched and be taken back in...he had a breakdown coping with it all...dragged himself back together and carried on while my brother returned home unable to sit feed or speak they taught him how to do it all again but no benefits my dad continued working. I now work 50 hours while handing money to my sister in her home disabled with an autistic son ( worked as a single mum until she physically couldn't, but no private pension and my brother in his home unable to cook a meal .....both get basic pension I've never been able to save as I've supported them all my working life....my private pension is a pittance because I got cancer and it went up the wall....and I wasn't allowed to add to it back then
Not everyone is as lucky as you

Do teachers and nurses still get final salary pensions?

My parents are retired public sector workers. They said in the past the agreement with the unions was lower pay compared to the private sector in exchange for final salary pensions.

My Dad has worked since he was 15 and retired at 65, I don't begrudge him a penny.

Many of you seems to forget that pensioners they worked hard in their youth. That the schools, pensions, roads, forest, and the whole country was maintained with their work. And now it bother you that they don’t struggle? I am surrounded by pensioners that just go by. The reality is that in your strongest years you should build your wealth And educate yourself in investing.

No one can claim DB if they are of pension age,people that are in receipt of DB when they retire carry it forward.If you get disabled after you have retired you won’t get it.DB is for working age only.Facts matter when adding fuel to the fire😏

Nothing else ? If only income is State Pension, will be eibible for Council Tax benefit, Winter Fuel Allowance £500 (£600 over 80), Warm Homes Discount £150, free prescriptions, free tv licence (if over 75), and eligible for 'social tariff' water and phone/internet connection, free bus/rail/tram/ferry travel (depends where one lives).

Sorry i forgot about the council tax benefit he does get that. I was specifically asking about the £2.5k pension/benefits quoted though. Not free travel (which he doesn't use) or prescriptions as we have those free anyway. I wasn't meaning to come across badly there when I said nothing else, I genuinely forgot about council tax. He lived frugally and always has, it wasn't a complaint, I was just curious as to how other pensioners are receiving so much more in very similar circumstances

@Lorrymum This is what that generation expect from my kids' generation... that if only they could save then they could buy a house and enjoy the kind of life older people did. Surely all the pensioners had to do was give up a few luxuries and holidays and then they wouldn't be relying on the state pension! I'm obviously being a little facetious but I hate the double standard

@jannier - I count myself fortunate in many ways, but I could not work to support my family in the way you do. It would break me and I would then need the help of someone else. I'm not saying I have it harder than you. But I do want to protect myself and my family from depending on the state. The only real way to do that is to earn more when you have good health.

@LadyMary50

What is DB?

Sorry i forgot about the council tax benefit

There is also Housing Benefit. A pensioner, on the basic State Pension, in a private rented flat in London could be receiving hundreds of pounds a month (even a week) in Housing Benefit.

So was I. They started off as days out 1982 by 1984 they were an hour in the day usually starting at 11 finishing at 12. that double period for me was 1050 to 1215, and when we were asked why weren’t we at school, our reply was “you weren’t either”.

I think I read the comment by that poster wrong. Maybe the £2.5k per month included the rent? That would make more sense.

Utter rubbish,most jobs don’t require degrees,especially the useless “media studies”.Most students leave Uni and spend at least 3 years working in Asda before settling in a normal job.

Some pensioners are wealthy. Many are not. Working age people have the opportunity to work longer hours / get better paid jobs. Pensioners do not.

I fully support the triple lock - as a mother of (almost) two very young children who works and didn't get anywhere near that % increase to my salary as everyone on benefits or pensioners did.

paedoffo most pensioners have children and grandchildren and do acknowledge that some things are shitter for younger people. However some of the stuff on here about people getting 2.5K per month is definitely not typical ( I would love to know how). I get £730 state pension and £780 private pension and consider myself quite comfortable as pensioners go. Also the people who draw pensions for 30 years tend to be from less deprived backgrounds on the whole. Many people pay NI all their lives and don’t live beyond their early 70s.

Please get your facts right ! Of course you can claim disability benefits when you are pension age. Have you never heard of Attendance allowance ? It's almost £100 a week and an awful lot of pensioners claim it. And believe me it is a lot easier to claim than working age disability benefits. There are no assessments or anything, it is very easily awarded.

roarfeckingroarr · Today 19:43
Some pensioners are wealthy.

One in four British pensioners is now a millionaire www.telegraph.co.uk › pensions-retirement › news

My calculation of how a pensioner could be getting £2.5k a month in response to another poster asking how this was impossible included state pension, pension credit, PIP, severe disability premium on pension credit and an average rent covered in full by housing benefits because if you receive pension credit guarantee you get all rent and council tax covered in full. People who think that there are an insignificant number of people getting this kind of sum of benefits clearly have no idea. I do think also in the future there will be a lot more pensioners claiming large amounts of housing benefits because they have never been able to get on the housing ladder or have lost their homes. In my job I regulalry see pensioners claiming housing benefit with rents of £700 - £800 a month and unable to find anything cheaper. If they are on just a state pension, they will get most of their rent paid up to the local housing allowance.

So what do you suggest euthanasia at 70 ffs.Most pensioners do not get £2500 a month.They would have to be terminally Ill to get such a high rate benefit..

Blimey asda must be employing a lot of people! I’d say some jobs don’t need a degree but health care professions, STEM, teaching, professions, academia.. it’s a long list of those that do and the bar has been raised in terms of knowledge and expertise needed which isn’t a bad thing.
I think the government have got the messaging on this wrong. Those on benefits, pensioners need propping up with 10% uplift and extra payments but everyone else, including public servants don’t need it and can’t possibly have a rise. The truth is that many people can’t afford their bills and that’s why there are so many talking about striking.

I’ve been told it’s still good, but no where near as good if you joined in the early 80s and before.

I don’t begrudge anyone a decent pension, in Japan a rich country, but not as rich as the U.K., they retire a lot younger and have an enviable longevity. The French set fire and rioted when pensions were going to be raised.

The U.K. berate people who have worked over 50years when they receive one of lowest pension amounts in Europe