Overview
- Andy Burnham has publicly confirmed he will retain the state pension triple lock and has said the new and basic state pensions will be excluded from planned DWP reforms.
- Forecasts cited in recent reporting show the full state pension could rise to about £14,442 by 2029/30 if uprates follow the recent 4.8% trend, roughly £1,895 above current levels.
- Tax‑band freezes since 2021 are causing fiscal drag that analysts say will push more pensioners over the personal allowance, with around 600,000 extra pensioners expected to pay income tax in 2026/27.
- Alan Milburn’s review stresses welfare change is needed to tackle youth worklessness and pushes for graduated routes into work, while disability groups and some Labour MPs demand exemptions for disabled claimants.
- Experts including the IFS and modelers warn the triple lock can be expensive and unpredictable over time and have proposed alternatives such as linking uprating to a smoothed measure of earnings growth.