An eight per cent rise in the state pension next year could be scrapped as voters will believe it's not "fair", Rishi Sunak has hinted.
The Tory Chancellor declined to rule out scrapping the triple lock on pensions, insisting any decision will be fair "both for pensioners and for taxpayers".
Appearing on BBC Breakfast Sunak twice refused to guarantee the increase would go ahead in April 2022.
It comes as the Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey announced yesterday that the £20-a-week increase in Universal Credit introduced at the start of the covid pandemic will be slashed in September.
An increase in the pension rate is expected to cost the taxpayer around £4billion.
Sunak said: "The triple lock is the Government's policy but I very much recognise people's concerns.
"I think they are completely legitimate and fair concerns to raise.
"We want to make sure the decisions we make and the systems we have are fair, both for pensioners and for taxpayers."
Asked if he was not sticking to the manifesto commitment to the triple lock, he said: "Our approach to these things will be driven by fairness - fairness both for pensioners and for taxpayers."
Sunak defended the decision to cut the £20 weekly increase in Universal Credit introduced during the coronavirus crisis.
He told Times Radio: "I think people understand what's right for a crisis, and what's meant to be temporary obviously is different when we get through that."
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