BORIS Johnson has claimed that the triple lock on pensions has “protected” the oldest in society – despite his government having decided to suspend it.
The “triple lock” on UK pensions ensures that they will rise annually in line with the highest out of wage growth, inflation, or 2.5%.
However, wage growth in 2021 would have led to an increase in the state pension of more than 8%. The Tories decided to suspend the triple lock – which had been a key pledge in their 2019 election manifesto – in order to avoid paying out on this increase.
Instead, the London government announced in November last year that pensions would increase by 3.1%, which was then in line with inflation.
READ MORE: UK Government 'betrayed' pensioners by scrapping triple lock, say SNP
The Prime Minister was quizzed on this decision to abandon a “cornerstone” of their election manifesto by the SNP MP Patricia Gibson.
Gibson said: “A cornerstone of the last Conservative manifesto was a guarantee that the basic state pension would rise by either 2.5%, inflation rate, or earnings growth, whichever was highest.
“Instead, from April, the pension will rise by less than half of the current inflation rate.
“How does the Prime Minister explain this abject betrayal of some of the most vulnerable people in our community, who are squeezed by rocketing energy and food prices on the one hand, and the miserliness of this government on the other?”
In response, Johnson claimed that the Tory government had “through the triple lock protected pensioners”.
He claimed the pension was currently around £720 higher than if the Government had only ever relied on inflation, adding: “As it is, their incomes continue to increase with inflation. And they’ve gone up faster and further than those who are in work.”
“We look after elderly people and we always will,” he added.
READ NEXT: One million pensioners in Scotland hit by Tories removing 'triple lock'
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