{
  "id": 10743573,
  "title": "Reform UK and Tories attack Burnham’s triple lock pension move",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/reform-uk-and-tories-attack-burnhams-triple-lock-pension-move",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-29T17:23:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "City AM",
    "slug": "city-am",
    "url": "https://www.cityam.com/reform-uk-and-tories-attack-burnhams-triple-lock-pension-move/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Reform UK and Tory leaders have criticized Andy Burnham's proposal to abandon the triple lock on pensions in a future Labour manifesto, setting the stage for a potential policy clash. The Prime Minister stated he would lead his party's push to change the triple lock pension in order to fund a new National Care Service at the next election. Under this new system, the state pension would rise by the highest of inflation or 2.5 per cent. This move aims to prevent the state pension from outpacing wage growth in the long term while saving £15bn a year by 2040 according to government analysis. Economists, including those from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, have endorsed Burnham's pledge, arguing the current system is \"unpredictable\" and \"unsustainable\". However, Reform UK's Treasury spokesperson, Robert Jenrick, described the pledge as \"just mean\". The party leader, Nigel Farage, accused Burnham of \"abdication of responsibility to British pensioners\". The Conservatives' Kemi Badenoch expressed concern over the policy's potential financial implications, stating it would require more tax rises to fund the proposed care system, suggesting it would \"fall apart under scrutiny\". City economists noted that while aspects of Burnham's proposal were \"encouraging\", the focus on outcomes rather than means meant the triple lock change might not provide enough funds for the new care service, let alone meet other manifesto promises.",
  "summary": "Reform UK and Tory leaders have hit out at Andy Burnham’s plans to drop the triple lock on pensions in a future Labour manifesto, setting up a clash on a policy which previously had the backing of all major political parties. On Tuesday, the Prime Minister said he would lead his party on a pledge [...]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "City AM",
        "title": "Why is Burnham set to turn against the triple lock?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/why-is-burnham-set-to-turn-against-the-triple-lock",
        "published": "2026-09-29T09:27:39.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}