Pension triple lock

Interesting to notice that the day it's announced is the day that Bird's Eye and Walkers want a 12% hike in food prices, following on from Unilever. Of course, we pensioners don't need as much food, do we?

I read that too, but won't be gettinh aerated just yet!

The proposal's been on the cards for ages.

Surely pensioners don't eat Bird's Eye ready meals and Walkers' crisps. I thought they all cooked fresh food from scratch. ;-)

To be honest, it's probably about time, provided they keep the price/wage inflation measures in place.

Bird's Eye peas, one of the biggest employers in Hull. 50,000 tones a year. I presume some are eaten by pensioners. Not me, though, I only eat organic peas in season.

Tones? Musical peas?
tonnes.

Organic peas would be musical, surely?

Apparently it will not change until 2020 or a General Election and I have a feeling the latter may occur sooner rather than later.

Maybe some hard working youngster would like my house, after all I do not need 3 bedrooms and their need maybe greater than mine although I worked my socks off to pay for it.

It always was a cynical move to buy the grey vote while freezing public service pay and working age benefits.

I would rather have my pension age brought forward a bit.

If this is actually done, they will be losing a few votes from our age range.

Of course they're not going to do it! It would be political suicide for any party.

Daphne, on a like for like cost, you wouldn't get any meaningful early start to your pension through giving up the 2.5% increase measure. A few months at best I would think. I guess any giveaway can be badged as cynical, but in practical terms the triple lock has done a lot to improve the state pension. But should it remain in place or is it time to target some of the money elsewhere?

Not just pensioners being hit by rising food prices.

'The Government is refusing to review a new cap on people’s benefits despite the soaring costs of goods in the wake of Brexit, a cabinet minister has confirmed.

Damian Green said he would not take into account rising prices in setting the level of the cap, which drops today from £26,000 to £23,000 in London and to £20,000 outside the capital.

The Work and Pensions Secretary’s admission came as major food producers confirmed struggling families could be hit by price rises due to the falling strength of the pound – it has plummeted 18 per cent against the US dollar since June's Brexit vote.

Asked whether the cap could be adjusted if inflation jumped above two and a half per cent, for example, Mr Green said: "There’s no intention to reconsider the cap". '

This is in line with making benefits in line with families who are in work.Basically, that no benefits should be more than working people receive.

Fitzy you are right, the triple lock has helped pensioners immensely, it will continue to 2020, but then may be reviewed.

I'd be happy with a few months, Fitzy. I don't object to the rise for women to 65, because we were informed about it years ago and I don't really understand how women didn't know. I do feel quite strongly about the further rise to 66 in my case PLUS the fact that it means that people have to wait the extra years for a bus pass AND having to pay council tax, despite being on a very low income (pensioners are exempt) AND when Universal Credit is rolled out people over 60 will have to work 30 hours rather than 16 as at present for Working Tax Credits. I also feel strongly about being conned over the new pension.

There is a lower percentage of pensioners living in poverty than there are working age families. Yes, I do think it's time to target the money elsewhere. I actually think the whole benefit system needs an overhaul, but that's not going to happen, along with some serious strategies for building social housing and redistributing wealth throughout the regions, but that probably won't happen either.

So make pensioers poor and families poor? What a brilliant idea.
When the cap was initially brought in it was £26,000. Has the working family's pay gone down by £6,000 in 3 years.

Pensioners are exempt from Council Tax??? Not as far as I know. Our biggest bill and set to rise next year.

Pensioners aren't exempt from council tax. I only pay 75% because I live on my own. But that's not exempt.

If only we we exempt from Council Tax!Our is going up too.

Yes, they are, jen, if they're on a low income. Working age people, even if they're on JSA or have no income at all, have to pay at least 12.5%.

Hmmmn, I feel a petition coming on....'Pensioners against Council Tax'

I wonder how low the income has to be for pensioners to be exempt? It must be very low.