Why are the Tories making such a big fuss about pensions?
Poor Tories, complaining about giving a pay rise of eight per cent to pensioners.
They don’t reckon it’s fair that OAPs should get such a huge increase, and to be honest, they’re right.
The problem is in the so-called Triple Lock guarantee, that means pensions rise in line with the rising cost of living seen in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) measure of inflation, increasing average wages, or 2.5%, whichever of those three is highest.
The guarantee did not anticipate wages falling by a huge amount in any particular year, and then rising back to – or beyond – their original level, as is happening now.
This means that, because pensions did not fall, pensioners seem set for a windfall. The Tories reckon that is unfair and, in fairness, they have a point.
But there’s a simple solution. Instead of increasing according to the difference between last year’s wages and this year’s, they could calculate the difference between the wages of the year before – in other words, before Covid affected wages – and now, adjust it according to the amount that pensioners received last year, compare that figure with CPI and the 2.5 per cent figure, and increase pensions by whichever of those three numbers is highest.
It’s not rocket science.
The problem is that the Tories simply don’t want to give pensioners anything at all.
Have YOU donated to my crowdfunding appeal, raising funds to fight false libel claims by TV celebrities who should know better? These court cases cost a lot of money so every penny will help ensure that wealth doesn’t beat justice.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Here are four ways to be sure you’re among the first to know what’s going on.
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (in the left margin). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
The Livingstone Presumption is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
Ageist hatred rears its ugly head again Sir.
Triple lock does not come from general taxation, but only from the National Insurance Fund, that is well in funds from the £1bn less every year being paid out since 2020, by over 60s and older deaths in the pandemic from Tory pandemic policies, with Labour complicit.
Us from 60 to 69 were ignored by government for shielding by age, with pension age risen to 67.
The loss of £20 from Universal Credit is not being given to pensioners, on the lowest state pension of any rich nation on earth, far below the current inadequate minimum wage.
And pensioners have also lost that £20 as many are on Universal Credit, not on Pension Credit, because the pensioner husband cannot claim it, due to wife’s risen pension age. Pensioner husbands then also get hit by Bedroom Tax.
This is the Tories inciting even more hysterical rise of ageist hatred of people over 66, now 67.
Women are suffering their highest ever redundancy rates, aged in our 50s and 60s, with nil chance of a new job, so pensioner husbands won’t have her income towards the household bills.
Going to be made worse now that furlough has reduced down to 70 per cent of wages.
Fucking Tory scum they are never happy it’s always complaining about this this is an outrage bellow and ball about something!
Now it’s pensions oh no they fecked up the rate of inflation and now because of rules, THEY imposed it looks like it could be an 8% raise and they don’t like that! Someone else getting the money they could steal that’s not OK!!!!
Torys bellow this BS and oh things must change they wine… It’s also the same Torys set the rules inflicted on us then don’t limit something because as established Torys are stupid and lazy when they do these rules.
It’s complaining and carp on I am just so tired of their BS and lies. The fact of so many stupid Tory supporters ignores reality for a Tory media controlled lie like the sheeple they are…
Well, they voted for these morons and now it’s their pensions affected bet they care now it’s there tern at cut this for no good reason!
Maybe instead of voting Tory just because your old you think of everyone and not just yourselves? Then maybe the rest of us would care when it’s your turn at the Tory BS routine starts about pensions instead you get the same treatment you gave disabled & cancer suffers when we lost £30 silence…
Pensioners generally are receiving NO increase, those on Pension Credit’ are having a sum equal to their increase in Basic Pension deducted from their Pension Credit! Those who are better off are being taxed for the first time, These are not individuals on big incomes. They may be just a few pence over the decided ‘limit’. The actual result is many are now worse of after a so called ‘increase’ It is smoke and mirrors, I have lost £16 from my very small income, this year!
Yours is one of the few political blogs I now read; I respect your work very much but this is such a disappoint.
I am a pensioner and for working 46 years (with a break of 2 years when I did a vocational related polytechnic course and subsequently had my pension reduced as I didn’t realise and was never told I would not receive NI contributions for those years until it was too late for me to rectify…) receive the princely sum of £151.77pw = £7892 pa.
An 8% ‘windfall’ would be approximately £12 per week for me. I retired in 2009 and until 2021 the yearly increase averages out at £4 a week.
Sadly your language in this piece simply perpetuates the ‘divide and conquer’ which this government, well what passes for a government, are proving so adept at.
But it is okay for these hypocrits to give themselves between 8 and 10% increase in salaries and awarding Dominic Cummings £40k to leave peacefully. Thats before they start fiddling their expenses. Get your own House in order before attacking the working man.