... IF THE GOVERNMENT CAN DO THIS, WE CAN’T EVER TRUST THEM AGAIN
BY SMASHING a vow to keep the state pension safe with a cast-iron triple lock, many pensioners feel the Government sees them as ‘easy pickings’.
Retired journalist Ian Barratt, from Maldon in Essex, is among those who feels aggrieved by the Government’s decision to disband the triple lock. He says: ‘This latest attack on the state pension is a particularly low blow.
‘When the Government allows multinational giants such as Amazon to get away with making obscene profits at the expense of the taxpayer – letting them pay a paltry amount of tax – you have to ask where its priorities lie.’
He adds: ‘Is it the old and vulnerable, who are less likely to complain, it cares about or is it big business? The rich get richer while the poor survive on a meagre state pension that in real terms continues to fall in value.’
Now 79, Ian – married to Iris, 77 – admits that they are among the more fortunate pensioners because they also have personal pensions that enable them to pay their household bills as the cost of living continues to rise. But he is worried that the Government may undermine the state pension yet again if it is short of money.
He says: ‘We are told the triple lock is to be shelved for just a year – but how on earth can we trust the Government not to do the same thing again and again?
‘I am also worried about the young. I bet you that they will not be able to rely on a state pension to keep them comfortable when they reach old age.’
Retired air traffic controller Derek King understands why the triple lock has been broken – but also fears for those who survive on just the state pension.
The married 74-year-old, from Northampton, says: ‘We are fortunate because we have private pensions to top up our income, but for others it is a real struggle.
‘But I worry most about the younger generations, who have had to foot the bill for most of the costs of dealing with the pandemic.’ He adds: ‘If the triple lock is suspended for just a year to help keep a lid on costs, then this is a sacrifice we are willing to make.’