{"id":788224,"date":"2026-10-01T05:50:21","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T05:50:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/788224\/"},"modified":"2026-10-01T05:50:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T05:50:21","slug":"mapped-the-uk-areas-to-be-hardest-hit-by-scrapping-pensions-triple-lock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/788224\/","title":{"rendered":"Mapped: The UK areas to be hardest hit by scrapping pensions triple lock"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Andy Burnham\u2019s chances of winning the next general election could be hit by his plan to scrap the state pension triple lock, with almost every constituency worst-hit by the radical pledge<\/a> currently held by Labour. <\/p>\n

Analysis of the 20 constituencies with the highest proportion of pensioners claiming pension credit, given to those on a low income, showed 19 have Labour MPs, including home secretary Shabana Mahmood, who is MP for Birmingham Ladywood.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, a survey by BMG Research, commissioned by <\/a>The i Paper, found that 56 per cent of Labour voters want the triple lock<\/a> to remain. <\/p>\n

On Tuesday, Andy Burnham told the Labour Party conference<\/a> that the triple lock would be adjusted to help pay for a new, free social care system. <\/p>\n

It means <\/a>the rate of increase to the state pension would no longer be attached to the rise in average earnings. Instead, it would be pegged to inflation or a 2.5 per cent increase \u2013 whichever is highest.<\/p>\n

The change, saving \u00a315bn per year by 2040, would not come in until after 2030 and will likely be key in the battleground for the next election.<\/p>\n

Modelling shows it could leave<\/a> the state pension \u00a35,400-a-year lower in 20 years, at \u00a325,029 compared to the \u00a331,571 it would have risen to under the current policy.<\/p>\n

\"AndyAndy Burnham said the mechanism would be \u2018adjusted\u2019 to help pay for his ambitious plans for a new, free social care system (AFP\/Getty)<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, despite union opposition, Labour ministers came out in support of the \u201cbrave\u201d pledge. However, Mr Burnham risks discontent in Labour strongholds where there are the highest rates of pensioners on pension credit, which is given to pensioners with an income of less than \u00a3238.<\/p>\n

Bethnal Green and Stepney in London, where Rushanara Al is Labour MP, has the highest proportion of claimants, with almost half of pensioners (49 per cent) receiving pension credit. That compares to the 11 per cent British average, according to figures released <\/a>for November last year by the House of Commons. <\/p>\n

Second joint highest were Birmingham Ladywood, where Ms Mahmood is MP, and Manchester Rusholme, where Afzal Khan has been Labour MP since 2017, with 43 per cent.<\/p>\n

Mr Khan told The Independent: \u201cAny family that has been struck by the current state of social care knows first-hand the desperate need we have to fix it. Vulnerable adults are stripped of their life earnings and possessions to pay for basic care, all whilst the heroes providing essential care are suffering on poverty pay. It\u2019s just not right. <\/p>\n

\"AfzalAfzal Khan, MP for Manchester Rusholme, said the change to triple lock will provide people with more support, care and dignity through funding to the National Care Service (PA Media)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe adjustments to the triple lock will unlock \u00a315 billion in the first decade of its reform and will fund the National Care Service that we will build. This isn\u2019t about taking support away, it\u2019s about providing more support, more care, and more dignity in later life for everyone in our country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stephen Timms, Labour MP for East Ham, where the proportion is 35 per cent, said: \u201cI support the plan. I don\u2019t think anyone envisaged that the triple lock, in its original form, would carry on for ever. Its very important that the level of the State Pension keeps pace with earnings, as the adjusted model will ensure.\u201d<\/p>\n

David Lammy\u2019s Tottenham constituency was sixth highest with 37 per cent. After Mr Burnham\u2019s speech, the former foreign secretary did not mention the triple lock adjustment in a glowing review of the prime minister post on X. <\/p>\n

At the other end of the spectrum, Mid Buckinghamshire, where Greg Smith is Tory MP, and Wokingham, where Clive Jones is Lib Dem MP, have the joint lowest rate with just 4 per cent of pensioners claiming pension credit. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Among those critical of the plan is Sharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite union, who warned the prime minister he was penalising the \u201cpoorest in society\u201d. She told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: \u201cGoing to a group of people who are getting around \u00a312,500 a year, in order to pay for it, to take their security from them, is wrong. I think it\u2019s morally wrong.\u201d <\/p>\n

Dr Lawrence McKay, lecturer in comparative politics at the University of Reading, said the move \u201csparks immediate comparison\u201d with Sir Keir Starmer\u2019s move to limit winter fuel allowance, which was one of the former prime minister\u2019s most unpopular policies<\/a> and he was forced to U-turn on.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cIt marks a change from the \u2018people-pleasing\u2019 tendencies of Burnham\u2019s early days as PM, and has little to do with the hope-based theming of Labour\u2019s conference.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Dr McKay suggested that, despite resistance, Mr Burnham could be successful in rolling out the move.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cWhile other parties, some pressure groups and some trade unions may attempt to overturn Burnham\u2019s plans, doing so may prove surprisingly difficult to achieve. Burnham remains personally popular and has a large majority, and privately even some on the right accept the triple lock can\u2019t last forever.\u201d <\/p>\n

What is the state pension triple lock?<\/p>\n

The triple lock policy ensures those on the state pension see their income from the payment rise at the same rate as workers, price increases, or at least a baseline percentage.<\/p>\n

Current policy dictates that it rises at whichever is the highest each year, out of annual salary growth, CPI inflation or a flat 2.5 per cent.<\/p>\n

This year, for example, salary growth was 3.9 per cent in the month used for calculations, so unless inflation unexpectedly rockets when September readings come through \u2013 it was 3.1 per cent for August \u2013 that is the figure which will be used to uplift the state pension from April 2027 onwards.<\/p>\n

That will be equivalent to almost a \u00a3500 annual increase to someone on a full state pension.<\/p>\n

So far, Labour ministers and MPs have stuck behind their leader. <\/p>\n

On Sky News on Wednesday morning, Pat McFadden, secretary for work and pensions, told Sky News that pensioners should \u201cknow that their pension will continue to rise every year\u201d. Housing minister Angela Rayner has called the move \u201cbrave\u201d.<\/p>\n

Mr Lammy, who said last year that Labour was \u201csupporting pensioners through the triple lock\u201d in its autumn Budget, did not mention \u201cpensioners\u201d or \u201ctriple lock\u201d in a 610-word post on X praising Mr Burnham\u2019s speech.<\/p>\n

Mr Burnham defended himself against a suggestion he was picking on pensioners. He told ITV\u2019s Good Morning Britain on Wednesday: \u201cI think you\u2019ve got it completely wrong, really, if you don\u2019t mind me saying, to put it like that, because I have put out today a vision for a national care service.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are pensioners out there who watch your programme who are paying for care costs from their basic state pension. Now, is that right or fair? We have to fix this system. But what I\u2019m saying about the triple lock enables a better support, better care for people in their homes. No care charges.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":788225,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[84,4176,4174,4175,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-788224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-personal-finance","tag-business","tag-finance","tag-personal-finance","tag-personalfinance","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/788224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=788224"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/788224\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/788225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=788224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=788224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=788224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}