Pensioners divided over plans to axe triple lock
BBCThe state pension triple lock is on the way out - with pensioners in Worcestershire concerned that the change could leave them worse off.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham intends to water it down from 2030 to help fund a national care service by removing a guarantee that pensions will rise in line with earnings.
The BBC went to a bingo club in Worcester, where people said they were worried about the impact.
Mary Davies, 89, said: "I think it's wrong - people of our generation will be missing out." But Burnham said it was a "good deal for pensioners".
What is the triple lock?
The triple lock guarantees that the state pension increases every year by whichever is highest of three measures:
- Inflation
- Average earnings growth
- A fixed 2.5% guarantee
The increase takes effect each April and applies to both the basic and new state pensions.
It means pensioners should not see their State Pension income fall behind increases in either prices or workers' wages.
The 2.5% guarantee also means pensions will continue to increase by a minimum amount during periods when both inflation and earnings growth are low.
What has the PM said?
Speaking during the Labour conference, Burnham said the government would honour its manifesto promise to keep the triple lock on pensions throughout this Parliament.
But from April 2030, it will then be adjusted and would continue to rise every year at least by prices, or 2.5%, and hold its value "relative to earnings over time".
Experts are calling it a "double lock" - a new deal which does not take into account any sharp rises in wages year-to-year.
The Labour leader said the change would generate significant savings that ministers would use to build up a national care service.
When was the triple lock introduced?
The triple lock was introduced by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government following the 2010 general election.
It was announced in the coalition government's first Budget and took effect from the 2011-12 financial year.
Successive Conservative governments maintained the triple lock, and Labour, under former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, also promised to retain it in its 2024 general election manifesto.
What's the reaction?
At a bingo and social club at the KGV community centre in Worcester, pensioners said they were concerned.
Barbara Weston, 75, a former retail worker, said: "The triple lock is very important - we've got a small pension anyway, compared to many other countries.
"We're not living life to the full as it is, because we don't have enough money - how is this going to change that?
"We haven't got enough in the pot to pay for everything we need. I don't think putting it into social care is a fair trade-off."
Margaret Smith, 89, said: "You hear so many stories of older people who can't afford to heat themselves properly or eat well - nobody should be in that state.
"I'd be concerned if we end up falling behind where the pension should be."
But Mal Furlong, 79, said: "I'm trying to be open-minded on whether it's good or bad.
"I may need social care at a later date, and that's what this is all about. So I've got to remain open-minded and let's see how it all works."
People who work in the care sector praised Burnham for looking to tackle what they called a "longstanding problem".
Joyce Pinfield, from Bromsgrove, is vice-chair of the National Care Association.
"We've been in a situation where politicians have been trying to 'fix' social care for 30 years, without it happening," she said.
"It's a very difficult one for the government to sort out.
"We love the vision of a national care service, free at the point of care. But funding it will be one of the main problems, of course."
Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.