Rishi Sunak under pressure as triple lock backed in new poll

Rishi Sunak is facing mounting pressure to keep the state pension triple lock as new polling suggests six in 10 Brits back the move. It comes as the Daily Express is campaigning to save the policy – which sees payments uprated by the highest out of 2.5 percent, wages and inflation – as millions of pensioners are at risk of being left worse off.Exclusive polling by Techne for Express.co.uk found 58 percent say the Prime Minister should go ahead with the triple lock.In the poll of 1,629 British adults, carried out from November 2-3, some 28 percent said no and 14 percent did not know.It comes as more than 250,000 people have signed our petition to protect the triple lock, which was a 2019 Tory manifesto commitment.Leading pensions expert Baroness Altmann warned pensioners left in limbo ahead of the budget on November 17 are having “sleepless nights”.She told Express.co.uk: “With the vast majority of voters saying they want pensioners to be properly protected by inflation for the coming year, it is essential the politicians listen to this message.”The Treasury must urgently announce it will uprate state pensions by inflation next year, no ifs, no buts. New polling shows six in 10 Brits back keeping the state pension triple lock (Image: GETTY)”Pensioners are having sleepless nights about broken promises and making them wait till November 17 is heartless. They need reassurance now.”Caroline Abrahams, Age UK charity director, said: “Many members of the public are hazy about what the triple lock actually is so these poll findings are really encouraging because they show a strong sense of solidarity with our older population.”There’s no doubt that those in later life appreciate what a difference it can make, especially at a time of high inflation like now.”The triple lock was designed to ensure the state pension keeps its value at all times and doesn’t lose it when prices or wages are rising quickly.”As such, it’s a humane recognition of how low the state pension is – about £9,000 a year on average – and how dependent many millions of older people are on it to survive and thrive.” Some 58 percent back keeping the triple lock in the exclusive poll (Image: TECHNE)”We sincerely hope the Government heeds findings like these and reinstates the triple lock as part of the Autumn Statement in a couple of weeks’ time.”National Pensioners Convention (NPC) general secretary Jan Shortt added: “The NPC, along with other organisations working with older people, is making it clear that the triple lock must be fully restored for April 2023.”This is not only to protect older people today, but to ensure that the cumulative effect of the triple lock is there for future pensioners.”The polling data shows Brexiteers and Remainers are united on keeping the triple lock, with 61 percent and 59 percent saying yes respectively.Meanwhile, the move is also popular with both Tory and Labour voters. The PM has refused to commit to the state pension triple lock (Image: GETTY)Some 62 percent of Conservative backers and 58 percent of supporters of Sir Keir Starmer’s party said yes to keeping the triple lock.The data shows older people are more likely than their younger counterparts to be behind the policy.But some 49 percent of 18 to 34-year-olds still said yes, compared to 31 percent who said no.It comes as pensioners have been left in limbo as Mr Sunak has refused to commit to the triple lock ahead of the autumn budget as he and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt look to plug a black hole in the public finances. Jeremy Hunt is looking to get the public finances back on track (Image: GETTY)Around 12.5 million people who receive the state pension are set for a bumper 10 percent increase if the policy goes ahead next April.But they face a real-terms cut in earnings if their payments do not rise in line with soaring inflation.The policy was suspended last year due to the Covid pandemic distorting wage growth, meaning pensioners received a 3.1 percent increase.Last month, Mr Sunak’s predecessor Liz Truss U-turned on axing the commitment after a furious backlash at suggestions it could be dropped.But question marks are hanging over the policy once again since the former Chancellor entered No 10.