Triple lock is up for debate, says Farage
Reform leader’s comments come minutes after Jenrick said he supported the policy
Robert Jenrick defected from the Conservatives last month to Nigel Farage’s party
Nigel Farage has suggested that Reform UK could remove the triple lock on pensions in an apparent split with Robert Jenrick, his new “chancellor”.
The Reform leader said the future of the triple lock, which guarantees the state pension rises each year by the highest of three measures – inflation, average earnings or 2.5 per cent – was “open for debate”.
Minutes before Mr Farage’s comments, Mr Jenrick said he supported the policy and voters did not need to worry about it being removed.
At a London press conference where he set out Reform’s economic agenda, Mr Jenrick said: “I’ve always been a supporter of the triple lock.
“It’s incredibly important to provide dignity and security to older people on fixed incomes in the last decades of their life, particularly at a time like this where there’s such challenging circumstances with the cost of living.”
Mr Jenrick, who defected from the Conservatives last month, promised that the party would set out more details in the coming weeks.
The Conservatives and Labour have committed to maintaining the triple lock for the foreseeable future. The policy will cost the Treasury an additional £6bn this April when it rises by 4.7 per cent to £12,548 a year.
However, shortly after Mr Jenrick’s comments, Mr Farage told a group of reporters the future of the triple lock was not guaranteed under his leadership.
He said: “I haven’t changed my mind. It’s open for debate. Everything is open for debate.”
This was not the first time Mr Farage suggested that the costly policy could go.
Speaking in May, he said: “Triple lock for pensioners is not something we have addressed as yet.
“We will, between now and the next election. We are, as you can see, building out our policy platform.”
He has also warned that the state pension age must rise more quickly because it was failing to match rising life expectancy.
The state pension age is on course to rise to 67 by 2028 and to 68 by 2046.
• Two-child cap
Mr Farage also disagreed with Mr Jenrick’s announcement that he would restore the two-child cap on benefits policy.
Mr Jenrick said: “Today, Reform is changing our policy on the two-child cap for Universal Credit. We want to help working families have more children.
“But right now, we just cannot afford to do so with welfare, so it has to go. And, as Reform’s shadow chancellor, I’m ending it. A Reform government will restore the cap in full.”
Afterwards, Mr Farage told reporters that he still wanted to remove the two-child benefit cap for British families and he had been forced into the reversal by the “Tory press” who had labelled him a “socialist”.
He said: “What I wanted is the two-child cap lifted for working British families and for my efforts I got branded by the Tory press as being a ‘socialist’. It backfired. It didn’t work.
“Any attempt to do anything that is pro-family seems to be very, very difficult to do. And anyway it was only going to cost a tiny amount of money compared to the upwards of £3bn that this Labour Party has changed [by lifting the cap entirely]. So look, I accept it, it’s fine.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/02/18/triple-lock-is-up-for-debate-says-farage/
Robert Jenrick defected from the Conservatives last month to Nigel Farage’s party
Nigel Farage has suggested that Reform UK could remove the triple lock on pensions in an apparent split with Robert Jenrick, his new “chancellor”.
The Reform leader said the future of the triple lock, which guarantees the state pension rises each year by the highest of three measures – inflation, average earnings or 2.5 per cent – was “open for debate”.
Minutes before Mr Farage’s comments, Mr Jenrick said he supported the policy and voters did not need to worry about it being removed.
At a London press conference where he set out Reform’s economic agenda, Mr Jenrick said: “I’ve always been a supporter of the triple lock.
“It’s incredibly important to provide dignity and security to older people on fixed incomes in the last decades of their life, particularly at a time like this where there’s such challenging circumstances with the cost of living.”
Mr Jenrick, who defected from the Conservatives last month, promised that the party would set out more details in the coming weeks.
The Conservatives and Labour have committed to maintaining the triple lock for the foreseeable future. The policy will cost the Treasury an additional £6bn this April when it rises by 4.7 per cent to £12,548 a year.
However, shortly after Mr Jenrick’s comments, Mr Farage told a group of reporters the future of the triple lock was not guaranteed under his leadership.
He said: “I haven’t changed my mind. It’s open for debate. Everything is open for debate.”
This was not the first time Mr Farage suggested that the costly policy could go.
Speaking in May, he said: “Triple lock for pensioners is not something we have addressed as yet.
“We will, between now and the next election. We are, as you can see, building out our policy platform.”
He has also warned that the state pension age must rise more quickly because it was failing to match rising life expectancy.
The state pension age is on course to rise to 67 by 2028 and to 68 by 2046.
• Two-child cap
Mr Farage also disagreed with Mr Jenrick’s announcement that he would restore the two-child cap on benefits policy.
Mr Jenrick said: “Today, Reform is changing our policy on the two-child cap for Universal Credit. We want to help working families have more children.
“But right now, we just cannot afford to do so with welfare, so it has to go. And, as Reform’s shadow chancellor, I’m ending it. A Reform government will restore the cap in full.”
Afterwards, Mr Farage told reporters that he still wanted to remove the two-child benefit cap for British families and he had been forced into the reversal by the “Tory press” who had labelled him a “socialist”.
He said: “What I wanted is the two-child cap lifted for working British families and for my efforts I got branded by the Tory press as being a ‘socialist’. It backfired. It didn’t work.
“Any attempt to do anything that is pro-family seems to be very, very difficult to do. And anyway it was only going to cost a tiny amount of money compared to the upwards of £3bn that this Labour Party has changed [by lifting the cap entirely]. So look, I accept it, it’s fine.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/02/18/triple-lock-is-up-for-debate-says-farage/
