I deserve the pension triple lock – Andy Burnham shouldn’t scrap it

I’m concerned about how pensioners like me will cope in the future (Picture: Adam Vaughan/EPA) The recent news that Andy Burnham is ‘adjusting’ the pension ‘triple lock’ and replacing it with an annual double lock to help fund social care has left me frustrated. The Prime Minister denies he is scrapping the three-pronged protection, but no matter the technicalities, I suspect I’m going to lose out. Frankly, I’m concerned about how pensioners like me will cope in the future. Because Burnham’s new policy guarantees that the state pension rises each year by whichever is highest: 2.5% or inflation. But before this, it would go up by that 2.5% figure, inflation or by average wage growth. This was a safeguard to stop pensioners from falling into poverty and for me and millions of others, was working just fine. I understand that he’s looking to save money, in part to pay for a new system of social care, but pensioners shouldn’t be bearing the brunt of what the super rich can easily pay for. Burnham has said the issue is deeply personal to him after seeing the care system first-hand when his late father was living with Alzheimer’s disease. We worked hard to own our own home, and such ‘assets’ are often needed to pass on to children or to pay for care (Picture: Christine Stowe) He recognises that his government will have to make difficult decisions to fund the changes he wants. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. On the one hand, I fully agree that social care needs reform. But on the other, we are right to complain – while some members of my generation (I’m in my early 80s) were lucky enough to have bought property that went up in value many times, we worked hard to afford those homes. We went without things and made sacrifices to meet our mortgage repayments – including the double-digit interest rates that my husband and I, like many others, paid in the 1980s and early 1990s – that today’s mortgage-payers have never endured. We worked hard to own our own home, and such ‘assets’ are often needed to pass on to children or to pay for care. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The image of OAPs as using this money to simply top up their spending money on a SAGA cruise is wrong. Older people may have undergone many experiences that can rob them of the retirement they expected, or upend their financial planning. This is especially true for women. When I became a mother in the late 70s, it was common for women to stop work to prioritise childcare, leaving many of us with gaps in our pension contributions or on lower earnings than we would have had if we had continued in our jobs or careers, as is more typically the case with mothers today. I have worked all my adult life from the age of 18 until my late 60s, stopping only when I had caring responsibilities. I was a nursery nurse and it was not a well-paid profession, but I consider it a very valuable one – giving children a safe and happy start to their education, and giving their parents peace of mind. I feel like I have worked hard and done the right thing all my life (Picture: Christine Stowe) All that time, I have never been extravagant. I was lucky to have holidays in Europe, many of which were spent camping. We rarely ate out. I have always been happy to buy some of my clothes in charity shops. Today, I live on the state pension, plus a small inherited private one. Ironically, the latter pushed me slightly over the threshold for pension credit for some years, meaning that I actually lost out on some benefits that I would have had without it. I feel like I have worked hard and done the right thing all my life, and it doesn’t seem too much to ask that I enjoy a small measure of financial security in my retirement. The price rises of recent years have hit pensioners hard, and it’s tough to meet all the bills on a pension that is not generous by European standards. My utilities, for example, are over £200 a month. I pay about £60 a month for water and £50 a month for my phone and internet. Electricity averages out at over £100 a month. What do you think about the proposed changes to the pension triple lock? The changes are necessary to fund social care.Check Pensioners deserve the triple lock as is.Check A compromise might be needed.Check Sign up to Metro's The Slice newsletter for your guide to what's on in London, with trusted reviews, offers and giveaways. Food bills vary, but probably come to another £200 a month. Simple pleasures, like coffee and cake out with a friend, would not leave me with much change from a £10 note, meaning that this now has to be a rare treat. Of course, it’s true that we don’t face some of the costs that younger people face. We’re not raising young children – although some of the grandparents among us are still helping to care for them – and many of us have paid off our mortgages. We get free bus travel and sometimes train travel. Theatre, cinema and other discounts also help us enjoy our later years. But even this modest support can’t be guaranteed. For example, in 2020, limits were placed on those over 75 who received a free TV license. It might be hard for the younger generation – who derive most of their entertainment from their mobile phones – to understand, but TV can be a lifeline for elderly people who may be housebound or receive few visits from family and friends. On top of that, other costs pop up that we wouldn’t have had years ago. While a free bus pass is wonderful, some of us have health or mobility issues that mean we might now need to take a taxi instead. We also need heat. In the winters of our youth, we might have just put on an extra jumper, stiffened our upper lip, and toughed it out. But many pensioners are frail, so need properly heated homes. The winter fuel allowance helps, but doesn’t cover it all. Mr Burnham has first-hand experience of the care system he wants to pay into – I understand. So do I: I looked after my husband through his long and painful decline with multiple sclerosis, gradually burning through our modest savings paying for daily carer visits. It doesn’t seem too much to ask that I enjoy a small measure of financial security in my retirement (Picture: Christine Stowe) My experience leaves me in no doubt that social care has long needed more investment. But it also makes me question why improving it should come at the expense of pensioners’ financial security. When there is so much waste in government spending, it angers me to hear politicians talk about taking support from one vulnerable group to fund another. Of course, people of all ages face financial pressures and need help from the state. But younger people still have time to improve their futures – we don’t. The ‘triple lock’ gives pensioners like me vital stability. It means that when economic shocks – which are completely outside our control – hit, we have some small measure of protection. Without it, many people of my age will be left struggling to deal with the rising cost of essentials. And we shouldn’t be the ones suffering. As told to Debbie Stowe. A version of this article was originally published on October 20, 2025. Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing James.Besanvalle@metro.co.uk. Share your views in the comments below. Deals of the Day I’ve found the Hoover gadget that could make cleaning your floors so much easier I tried L'Oréal Paris's new PDRN serum and my skin looked glossier after one use This new Cricut gadget turns your favourite photos into stickers in minutes From kitchen hatches to burgundy walls – the biggest home trends for 2027 Oodie’s cosy blanket sale has arrived just in time for Christmas shopping Arrow MORE: Martin Lewis shares two key checks to make before overpaying your mortgage Arrow MORE: We should all being eating cake like Nigella Lawson on Great British Bake Off Arrow MORE: PM’s speech was unlike any other I’ve seen – but may be remembered for one thing The Slice Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.