Pensions: Liz Truss commits to triple lock after concern from Tory MPs

Liz Truss has said she is committed to expanding pensions successful enactment with prices, aft immoderate Tory MPs raised concerns the pledge could beryllium ditched.

On Tuesday, the PM's spokesperson said she was "not making immoderate commitments", erstwhile asked astir the triple fastener pledge.

The triple fastener means authorities pension payments emergence by immoderate is higher - inflation, mean net oregon 2.5%.

It came aft 1 Tory MP said pensioners should not beryllium "paying the terms for the cost-of-living crisis".

During Prime Minister's Questions, Ms Truss told the Commons: "We person been wide successful our manifesto that we volition support the triple fastener and I americium wholly committed to it. So is the chancellor."

Until Tuesday, the PM had repeatedly said she was committed to the pensions triple lock.

But doubts were raised aft Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and past the PM's spokesperson said they were "not making immoderate commitments" connected idiosyncratic argumentation areas.

The PM's spokesperson said Ms Truss had discussed the triple fastener with the chancellor connected Wednesday greeting and they had agreed the presumption acceptable retired successful PMQs.

He said it reflected the "unique position" of pensioners who are incapable to summation their income done work.

The spokesperson would not accidental if the premier curate had overruled the chancellor but erstwhile asked if they were moving successful "lockstep", helium replied that they were.

One Tory MP told the BBC the PM had "discussions" connected Tuesday with MPs who had expressed interest astir the thought the triple fastener could beryllium ditched and had blamed a "comms problem".

The MP was delighted to perceive the PM perpetrate to the triple fastener and felt "increasingly confident" the nexus betwixt benefits and rising prices - not committed to during PMQs - would beryllium confirmed connected 31 October, erstwhile the chancellor is owed to springiness a connection connected the government's economical plans.

But they said the PM's presumption remained "volatile".

Two Tory MPs - Maria Caulfield and Steve Double - had already publically declared they would not ballot to extremity the triple lock.

"Pensioners should not beryllium paying the terms for the cost-of-living crisis, whether caused by the warfare successful Ukraine oregon mini-budgets," Ms Caulfield said successful a tweet.

Pensions and benefits usually summation each April, with a determination taken the erstwhile autumn.

Work and Pensions Minister Lady Stedman-Scott told the House of Lords the government's triple fastener warrant applied not conscionable to adjacent twelvemonth but besides the remainder of the parliament, which besides includes the pursuing year.

The Liberal Democrats said the authorities "had to beryllium dragged kicking and screaming by their ain backbench's backlash into doing the close thing, leaving yet much uncertainty for our astir vulnerable".

Labour said it would rise the authorities pension successful enactment with ostentation if it was successful authorities present but a spokesperson said the enactment would not marque commitments for a aboriginal manifesto.

The triple fastener has been successful spot ever since it was introduced nether the Conservative-Liberal Democrat conjugation successful 2010, isolated from a one-year suspension during the pandemic.

The authorities is inactive facing a imaginable Tory rebellion if it does not hold to summation benefits successful enactment with ostentation adjacent April.

Ministers person truthful acold refused to perpetrate to the pledge, which was made by Ms Truss's predecessor Boris Johnson.

During PMQs, Ms Truss was urged by Tory MP John Baron to amusement "compassion successful politics" by maintaining the nexus betwixt benefits and inflation.

In response, she said: "We volition ever enactment to support the astir vulnerable", but stopped abbreviated of utilizing the aforesaid unequivocal connection she did for pensions.

Many of the government's taxation and spending plans person been thrown successful doubt, up of the chancellor's connection connected 31 October.

All authorities departments person been told to find savings, and Mr Hunt has not ruled retired further taxation hikes and spending cuts to reassure fiscal markets and support UK indebtedness nether control.