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.

What a ridiculous comment ! And of course people aren't terminally ill to get higher rates of disability benefits. You clearly have no idea.

@Isleoftights that'll be down to the property they live in. Do you think they should have to sell and downsize? If so, do you also think people in council houses should have to move and people receiving housing benefit should pay the spare room subsidy?

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

Japan approves law raising retirement age to 70 - HRM Asiahrmasia.com › japan-approves-law-raising-retire...

That is absolutely not true about Attendance Allowance. It’s not easier to claim than PIP, your needs have to be very high and there is an assessment unless your GP states that you are terminally I’ll. The only people who get the mobility component as a pensioner are those who were in receipt before they retired.

Not sure about this one OP. When we reach retirement age, we will feel the pain of age and ailments. The estate pension is not that much. Some retired people may be living quite well, but I think many are still struggling. I have not looked into statistics and I do not know many retirees.
I am sure though that working age people should be treated better. No zero hour contracts, minimum wage should be a living wage, the goverment should be getting a tight grip on prices so they stop climbing.
I am not including raising our wages, at this point, because from my understanding of economics, that would result in higher prices, higher inflation and around the wheel we go again!
We need a strong goverment to recoup control of our lives from markets, banks, finance services and Putin. To invest in green renewable energy, national companies, fair energy prices, higher number of doctors and nurses trained, less flipping paperwork and a fair recognition for the humble taxpayer, both the ones contributing today and the ones that were active and paid taxes while we went to school and uni.

Thanks @kitcat15!

I have helped hundreds to claim Attendance allowance over the past few months. There is no assessment. It is so much easier to claim than PIP and I help people with both.

Attendance allowance is a lot less than DB.Your original post was disingenuous.

Tried to read the article. There’s no article about raising the age of retirement by 20years

I was posting in response to another poster who asked how it was possible her relative was getting £2500 a month in benefits. I did not bring up the topic of people getting that much !

I would change other benefits for those of pensionable age not the triple lock.

Start some at a later age perhaps.

As for those with large incomes they should pay more tax but so should companies and those of working age who have high incomes.

Yes where's the work house for all old people ,, fed up with these threads attacking old people

Things must have changed relatively recently re Attendance Allowance. My mother received a visit and was assessed. My husband did get the lower rate without assessment but he was terminally ill. When my mother was assessed a high level of personal care with washing, toileting etc was required to qualify, so not your average pensioner, someone very disabled.

Tried to read the article. There’s no article about raising the age of retirement by 20years

I've just read it, it's there.
hrmasia.com/japan-approves-law-raising-retirement-age-to-70/

Higher rate is awarded if you have day and night time difficulties not on the level of care. I have never known anyone get assessed. Occasionally they ring a carer or relative if they can't decide whether to award the lower or higher rate. I think your mum must be the exception rather than the rule. Like I say I've assisted over 100 elderly people to claim AA in the past few months and I then have to ring them to see whether they were awarded it and at what rate to update my stats. The vast majority get awarded higher rate and not one has an assessment, they would tell me if they had. I am only speaking from my own expereince.

That's true for pension credit but not for lots of other benefits. They'll still be getting council tax relief, social tariffs for utilities, free transport, free prescriptions, warm homes, and if on pension only, then as a pp said (dismissively as of it was no big thing) entire rent paid for.

Many more in this generation, though of course not all, also have council homes or bought at far lower prices and own their own home. In particular I have limited sympathy for the people like some of my family who want to stay in a 4 bed family home they can't afford and refuse to downsize, while young families are crammed into flats because of the lack of availability (and therefore high prices on) family size homes.

I should also add that many of the people I work who have been in welfare rights work for a long time have the feeling that AA will be phased out and replaced as so many people are claiming it now. One reckons that they tried to reform it a few years ago but I am relatively new to this job so don't really know.

People up thread mentioned the 2m pensioners in poverty. That is bad. To put it in perspective, there are 4.5 million children living in poverty.

That's 27% of children vs 15% of pensioners.

Yet there's a triple lock for the older and more likely to vote Tory, while we allow support for children (and their education) to slide into a hole, that will affect them and the entire country for decades to come.

Why should pensions be indefinitely protected in a way that workers aren't?

The triple lock should raise the UK’s low state pension in the long run. It’s near the bottom of the European league. This will benefit today’s young people when they retire.

In particular I have limited sympathy for the people like some of my family who want to stay in a 4 bed family home they can't afford and refuse to downsize, while young families are crammed into flats because of the lack of availability (and therefore high prices on) family size homes

You left out the bit about why they refuse to downsize.

And paying it all out in rent £500 to £750 for a room in a shared house here....and there is a limit on how much is paid.

Statistically the majority don't claim it.....

Which is?

What a revolting hotbed of ageism.

Only single Pensioners can receive a discount in their council tax. I believe there is a basic broadband available. It is charged for, cheaper than the standard, but also much lower. There is no subsidy for gas, electricity and water rates, other than a £200 winter fuel allowance (increased to £500 this year as a one off). By the sound of it, you would be happy for British pensioners to sit freezing with their arthritis and other age related disease. Due to increasing divorces in recent decades, many pensioners have mortgages. Mine will run until I’m 76. Since those in receipt of the modern pension, can no longer receive pension credits, many do not have their rent paid. Your views are disgusting. You do know that those who receive a private pension too, also pay tax. I suppose it’s acceptable for our tax to supplement your child benefit and ‘free’ nursery hours (which our generation have). You do know the Tory Government would be loving this. Their aim is to set groups in society against each other to distract from the big picture, which it their own corruption.