Andy Burnham Scraps Pension Triple Lock to Fund National Care Service

Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a sweeping overhaul of the United Kingdom's social care and utility systems during his first keynote speech at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool. The centerpiece of the plan is the creation of a National Care Service in England, which will be free at the point of use. To fund this multibillion-pound initiative, Burnham confirmed the government will scrap the state pension triple lock in April 2030, replacing it with a double lock that removes the link to average earnings growth. Under the new system, pensions will rise by the higher of inflation or 2.5 percent.

Burnham stated that "someone has to go through the pain barrier and rip the plaster off" to address the funding crisis. While the triple lock remains unchanged for the current Parliament, the 2030 transition is projected to save approximately £15 billion annually. Other funding options considered included a 10 percent levy on death estates, which critics from Reform UK labeled a "death tax."

Beyond social care, Burnham pledged greater public control over utilities, announcing a Bill to repeal the ban on public ownership of water companies and the creation of a publicly owned Great British Grid to lower energy costs. He also launched a National Commission on Electoral Reform to explore proportional representation. The proposals drew sharp criticism from Unite leader Sharon Graham, who called the pension cuts "electoral suicide," and Conservative Chairman Kevin Hollinrake, who argued that "hope is not a strategy."