Forum Message

Topic: Who then?
Posted by: David Ainsworth
Date/Time: 29/05/26 17:42:00

2 April 2026 BBC
"Reform UK has said it would cut the benefits bill by billions of pounds to offset the cost of keeping the triple lock on state pensions if the party was in power.

The triple lock, which was introduced in 2011, means the state pension rises each year in line with either inflation, wage increases or 2.5% - whichever is the highest.

The triple lock is a major pressure on the UK's public finances, with the annual cost estimated to reach £15.5bn by 2030.

Reform UK was considering whether to scrap the triple lock and last year party leader Nigel Farage said he shared "the concern with pensions being unaffordable on a national level".

But at a news conference on Thursday, Farage said the party had debated the matter and decided to commit to keeping the triple lock.

He said the most "decisive reason" for making that decision was a plan the party had drawn up to "announce the biggest cuts to the benefits bill ever seen in the history of this country". He said the detail of those cuts would be revealed soon."
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"The Centre for Policy Studies think tank said it was sceptical of Reform UK's promise of "radical change".

"Spending on pensions, along with spending on the NHS and working age and child welfare, is on an unsustainable trajectory and no party is willing to tell the truth about how much this will cost the country," said CPS's head of economic and fiscal policy, Daniel Herring.

The UK state pension is set to rise by 4.7% from 6 April 6, driven by average earnings growth.

The Conservatives have ruled out scrapping the triple lock.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats are also committed to keeping the triple lock.

But ahead of the 2024 general election, the Green Party proposed changing the triple lock to a double lock, ensuring pensions rise by the higher of inflation or earnings."
2 April 2026 BBC


Entire Thread
TopicDate PostedPosted By
Brexit Revisited 28/05/26 11:10:00 Sue Hammond
   Re:Brexit Revisited 28/05/26 17:05:00 Jonathan Callaway
      Re:Re:Brexit Revisited 28/05/26 18:51:00 Steven Rose
         Reply28/05/26 23:48:00 Michael Ixer
            Re:Reply29/05/26 11:57:00 John Hawkes
         Re:Re:Re:Brexit Revisited 29/05/26 09:48:00 Jonathan Callaway
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Brexit Revisited 29/05/26 11:24:00 Steven Rose
               Reply29/05/26 11:32:00 Michael Ixer
                  Re:Reply29/05/26 12:11:00 John Hawkes
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Brexit Revisited 29/05/26 12:01:00 Jonathan Callaway
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Brexit Revisited 29/05/26 12:08:00 John Hawkes
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Brexit Revisited 29/05/26 12:34:00 Steven Rose
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Brexit Revisited 29/05/26 13:56:00 David Ainsworth
                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Brexit Revisited 29/05/26 14:14:00 Steven Rose
                           Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Brexit Revisited 29/05/26 17:29:00 Andy Pike
                              Who then?29/05/26 17:42:00 David Ainsworth
                                 Reply29/05/26 17:55:00 Sue Hammond

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