Age UK Cheshire has welcomed the Prime Minister's plan to end the existing state pension triple lock from 2030 to help fund a new national care service.

From April 2030 the Government will adjust the Triple Lock, delivering a rising pension every year that protects against price rises and ensures that pensioners benefit as the economy grows.

Hannah Taylor. Chief Executive Officer of Age UK Cheshire said: "A new deal for pensioners is long overdue so it's great to see the government recognising this.

"Cheshire has a significantly older and rapidly ageing population compared to the rest of the UK so this is a vital issue for us here locally.

"The Prime Minister's commitment to social care reform is hugely welcome. A modern, progressive social care system, free at the point of use, would be transformational for older and disabled people, and their families too.

"Good social care support that you can depend on is certainly critical for older people, but so too is financial security. For a generation, the Triple Lock has given older people confidence that the value of their State Pension won't be eroded in an uncertain and volatile world.

"Pensions policy is notoriously complex so we postpone judgment on the overall impact of the proposed reform until we can scrutinise the detail.

"We will need to be absolutely certain that those who are reliant on the State Pension alone can attain a decent standard of living, and that means the Government must have a cast iron plan to ensure no-one is left behind.

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"There is much to do, including moving to a new approach whereby the older people on the lowest incomes actually receive the top up benefits they are due - at present fully one in three are missing out.

"Protecting those older people who are vulnerable, or on the lowest incomes, should be the ultimate test of this Government's reforms - it can't be social care or financial security, in a civilised society it must be both."