- Conference
- 2023 National Retired Members Conference
- Date
- 9 June 2023
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
This conference notes that whilst the retention of the Triple Lock for the year beginning April 2023 must be applauded, in no small part to our own campaigning, we need to be wary of what the future holds. Conference must not be complacent and we will need to keep fighting for its retention in the future.
However, the Triple Lock is no answer to the low state pension on which many rely in the UK, including many of our own low paid members who have been unable to afford to make contributions to occupational pensions.
Conference needs to be aware that there is a further injustice for pensioners, the growing difference between the old and new state pensions. The old stage pension rose to a maximum of £156.20 per week or £8,122 per year in April and the new flat rate state pension for those born after 1950 increase to £203.85 per week or £10,600 per year. This difference of nearly £2,500 per annum will widen as years pass.
Many low paid members have been unable to afford to make contributions to occupational pensions and have been forced to rely on the state pension when they retired. The new flat rate state pension for those born after 1950 is still inadequate but those born in the preceding years will continue to be severely disadvantaged under the current two-tier system.
Conference therefore calls on the National Retired Members Committee to:
1)Liaise with the National Executive Council, Labour Link, the National Pensioners Convention, Scottish Pensioners Forum, Age UK, the Trades Union Congress, the Scottish Trades Union Congress and other relevant organisations to press the Government to raise the level of the old state pension to the equivalent level as the new state pension to prevent this disparity.
2)Continue to campaign with the above for the continued retention of the Triple Lock.
3)Raise awareness of the issue amongst retired members and encourage them to lobby their MPs on the need for parity between the two state pensions and the continued retention of the Triple Lock, through regions and branches.