Burnham Pledges to Overhaul Pension Triple Lock from 2030 to Fund National Care Service

Andy Burnham has used his first Labour Party conference speech as prime minister to announce plans to end the existing state pension triple lock from 2030, redirecting the resulting savings towards a new national care service. The proposal forms the centrepiece of what he described as a broader plan to transform Britain, and it came after several days of pressure over how his social care reforms in England would be paid for.

Addressing a packed conference hall in Liverpool, Burnham said altering the pension uprating formula would produce "significant savings" that could be channelled into the care system. His proposal would keep the state pension rising each year by at least inflation or 2.5 percent, but would sever the automatic link to average earnings growth.

The triple lock, introduced in 2010 by the coalition government, currently guarantees that state pension rates increase every April by whichever is highest of inflation, average earnings growth, or 2.5 percent. It was designed to prevent pensioners' incomes from being outstripped by the rising cost of living or by the earnings of working people.

Under Burnham's plan, the guarantee would remain in force until 2030, at which point he said he would like to "adjust it." He said the state pension would still rise annually by at least prices or 2.5 percent and would retain its value relative to earnings over time, so that pensioners continue to share in the nation's rising prosperity.

"This change will generate significant savings which we will use to build up our national care service," Burnham told delegates. He argued that many older people relying solely on the state pension, or with only slightly more, currently find themselves paying care charges out of that small income, and said under his plan this would no longer happen.

Officials have estimated the change could save around £15bn a year by 2040. Jonathan Cribb, deputy director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, offered a more measured assessment, noting that savings "are likely to be relatively small in the first few years, but rise substantially over time." He also cautioned that "we should not expect this reform to save enough that it could fund universal social care in the next parliament."

The announcement drew immediate criticism from across the political spectrum. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said "more tax rises are inevitable" under Labour's plan, while Reform UK's Nigel Farage accused the prime minister of "launching an offensive against our elderly." Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said families "cannot wait until after another election and it can't be funded from the pockets of our poorest pensioners."

Sharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite union, told the BBC that the government should have "pulled another lever," such as introducing a wealth tax, rather than making changes to the triple lock. Burnham acknowledged he may "pay a political price" for pursuing the reform, but insisted "someone has to go through the pain barrier and rip the plaster off."

The prime minister's social care plan would offer free care at the point of use in England. Burnham said the policy is being developed so it can be put before voters at the next general election in 2029, and pledged it would be "fully funded and not through borrowing." He described a national care service as a "landmark" policy that would be "as significant as the creation of the NHS itself and utterly essential to securing its future."

Burnham drew on personal experience to explain his long-standing ambition to reform care. He recalled how his grandmother Kitty's engagement ring was "ripped from her finger and stolen in a care home," an incident he has cited previously as shaping his views on the treatment of elderly people in the care system.

The speech, which lasted more than an hour, was delivered in front of a packed hall and watched by family and friends. Burnham paused at times and appeared to hold back tears as he referred to his father, Roy, who died earlier this month. He arrived on stage to "All Together Now" by Liverpool band The Farm, and used the song's title as a recurring theme, saying he wanted to "draw a line on a decade of division" and to "stop doomscrolling on posts running Britain down."

Burnham told conference he wanted to "put the country on a new path," recalling his family's "working-class aspiration" and saying the government wanted to "unlock" similar opportunities for others. There had been an expectation that his time in Liverpool would see him flesh out his vision for the country's future, and while he offered more detail, several proposals relate to the Labour manifesto at the next general election rather than immediate action.

Beyond pensions and social care, Burnham said he wanted to pave the way for greater public control over housing, water and energy services, and potentially reform the UK's electoral system. He pledged to repeal "Margaret Thatcher's ideological ban on public ownership of water companies," saying legislation would be brought before Parliament and that the changes would "start a 10-year journey to a very different water system," including new powers for mayors to hold companies to account.

On housing, the prime minister said it would be made easier for councils to acquire private rented homes in poor condition if landlords refuse to act after receiving warnings, adding that the government would change the law "if necessary." He also told delegates that "Brexit has done more harm than good," though the source account of his remarks on this subject is incomplete.

The speech marks a significant moment for Burnham, who has long signalled his intention to reshape the social care landscape in England. His decision to fund it partly through changes to the triple lock represents one of the most politically sensitive moves of his premiership so far, pitting the interests of pensioners against those needing care. With the IFS warning that the savings may not be sufficient to cover universal social care within the next parliament, and opposition parties already attacking the plan, the coming years are likely to see intense debate over whether the reform can deliver on its promise.