The Times have published a letter from Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of Independent Age, in response to a piece by Rapael Hogarth arguing that the triple lock on pensions should be scrapped (24/04/17, article).
The response from Janet Morrison, as originally published in The Times, is reproduced below.
"Sir,
Raphael Hogarth’s assertion that the triple lock on pensions is devoid of logic appears to assume pensioners are one homogenous group, when in reality income inequality runs deeply across older generations. The triple lock on pensions is still vital to the incomes of the poorest pensioners, who are about as far removed from the ‘baby boomer’ image as one can get. A fifth of those aged 75 and over already live below the poverty line, and 1.4 million people – a third who are entitled – don’t currently claim Pension Credit, which is a vital extra income for those most at risk of poverty. Until the incomes of the poorest pensioners are safeguarded, with many more pensioners who need it receiving Pension Credit, talk of removing the triple lock is premature."