Pensioner tells Sunak to treat them ‘with compassion’ over triple lock

Rishi Sunak has been told to treat pensioners ‘fairly and with some compassion’ as concerns rise that his new Government may scrap the triple lock. Keith Gudgin, who lives his retired life off-grid on a narrow boat, believes he is one of the ‘forgotten few’ who are already being looked over for state aid at a time when the cost of living crisis is putting pressure on the elderly.It was only a matter of days ago that Mr Sunak’s predecessor, Liz Truss, told the House of Commons that the triple lock on pension – which binds the Government to raise the state pension by the rise in annual inflation, average earnings or 2.5 percent, whichever is highest – would not be scrapped.But after becoming Prime Minister and promising ‘difficult decisions’ to come, Downing Street has refused to commit to the pledge, raising fears it may be scrapped in the upcoming budget.Mr Gudgin, 69, told Express.co.uk that he ‘wouldn’t trust [Rishi Sunak] on the end of an eel spear’, adding: ‘We are not a cash cow that can pay for the debt of the country.’The former electrical inspector relies on his state pension as his only source of income, and has spent the last decade living on a boat touring England.READ MORE: Is the state pension generous enough – POLL Gudgin told Sunak that pensioners are ‘not a cash cow that can pay for the debt of the country’ (Image: Supplied) Gudgin: ‘why are we not being given the same support that “all households” are getting?’ (Image: Supplied)The state pensioner relies on coal and around three bottles of propane gas a year to heat his narrow boat – the latter of which has also risen sharply in price due to the worldwide gas shortage.He noted: ‘We’ve still got bills to pay and prices have gone up. Just because we’re not connected to the National Grid, doesn’t mean we’re immune from it.’Though his pension increased 3.1 percent in April this year, giving him an extra £325, this is not enough to cover the increased fuel costs. In the meantime, Mr Gudgin has left his stove heater off for as long as he can, wrapping up more to stay warm in his own home.He claimed that though pensioners on land had been promised £1,200 support this winter, those like him had been offered just £300 on top of his winter fuel allowance this year. ‘Treat pensioners fairly and with some compassion; if you want our support then keep your promises’ (Image: Getty) ‘Just because we’re not connected to the National Grid, doesn’t mean we’re immune from it’ (Image: Supplied)The threat to the triple lock is ‘a sore point’, he said, adding: ‘Because they don’t say that they’re going to keep it – although they haven’t said they’re going to get rid of it – then the answer is that they’re going to get rid of it. And if they do that, it’s going to put us in a hell of a difficult position.’Even though he uses gas and coal to heat his aquatic home, Mr Gudgin believes he lives an environmentally friendly life, stating: ‘At the moment, all of my electricity is free – it’s all coming off my solar panels. I’ve got no gas connection to the system.’So all I’m burning is some coal in the winter and a few bottles of propane throughout the year – which is considerably less than what people would be burning in a house.’He added: ‘Our carbon footprint is tiny compared to a house or car owner! So why are we looked upon as the demons in society? Why are we bypassed when it comes to help being provided?’The Department for Work and Pensions was contacted for comment.Sign the pension triple lock petition here