Reform UK has broken their silence and vowed to “defend pensioners” after Kemi Badenoch revealed the Conservatives are “going to look at means testing” the pension triple lock in a mega policy switch up.
During a phone-in from a member of the public while on Iain Dale’s LBC show, the Tory leader said the party needs to “keep growing” with its approach to this area, despite supporting it while in power.
State pensions currently rise each year by whichever is highest out of the rate of inflation, average earnings or a minimum of 2.5%.
And now Nigel Farage’s party has called out the “the same old Tories” adding that only “Reform UK can be trusted to stand up for our pensioners”.
A spokesperson for Reform UK told GB News: “Labour have cut the winter fuel allowance and the Tories want to cut the state pension. Only Reform UK can be trusted to stand up for our pensioners.
“Reform UK will always ensure that pensioners can live with dignity and proper support, unlike the Tories.”
Ms Badenoch’s comments follow the Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride claiming that the triple lock is “unsustainable”.
The Tory leader added: “Means testing is something which we don’t do properly here. I always said, for example, that millionaires should not be getting the winter fuel payment.
“We don’t have a system that knows who should get what. That’s the sort of thing we need to be looking at.”
Mr Farage’s party have also previously turned up the heat and blasted Labour war on pensioners.
In September, all five Reform MPs stood against Labour and voted against the cuts to the Winter Fuel Payments in Parliament with Farage slamming the Winter Fuel Allowance being withdrawn from all pensioners as a “terrible mistake”.
The move, which has left many elderly Brits anxious about their heating bills, is alleged to save £1.5bn a year.
In November, the Prime Minister justified the need for the cut by telling a BBC local radio station that “when you inherit a broken economy… very difficult decisions have to be made.”