A Question Time panellist has called for the triple lock to be scrapped amid a fiery debate about the Government’s winter fuel payment U-turn. Responding to an audience question about whether or not the Prime Minister needs a roadmap following his latest change in direction, Brexit columnist Inaya Folarin Iman, agreed suggesting that the decision came following the local election results and the rise of Reform UK.
Ms Iman said: “The problem is that there are bigger questions that we need to ask as a society when it comes to an ageing population. Whether that’s the social care crisis or whether that’s the question of the triple lock on pensions. I am in my 20s and I speak to other people in their 20s who don’t believe that they will get a state pension.”
When asked by host Fiona Bruce about whether she would advocate getting rid of the triple lock, the journalist replied: “I think we need to have a national conversation,” as other panelists could be heard saying “yes!”
Fellow guest Zanny Minton Beddoes went one step further.
She said: “We cannot continue to maintain these promises to the older generation, leaving a huge burden on younger generations.
“I think we need to have an honest discussion about that.”
The triple lock was introduced in 2012 and ensures that the state pension goes up each year by the highest of three metrics: 2.5%, inflation, or earnings growth.
Labour MP Nick Thomas-Symonds attempted to defend the government’s decision to ease their stance on the winter fuel payment, which was described by other panellists as a “car crash policy”, whilst maintaining the government’s support of the measure.
The Paymaster General insisted that the government were forced to means test the once universal benefit as a result of the country’s economic situation but claimed that recent growth statistics laid behind the decision to reverse the controversial measure, rather than Labour embarrassing local election performance.
He said: “I don’t think that anyone thinks that it is a good use of public money to be paying the winter fuel payment to millionaires, I think it is right to means test it.
“After the local elections, the prime minister said that ‘I get it’ and that is why we will be increasing the number of pensioners who are entitled to it.”
