The government plans to change the triple lock from April 2030. This page shows what that could mean for you, in pounds.
What has been announced (updated 5 October 2026)
On 29 September, the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, said the triple lock stays the same until the next election. Your rises in April 2027, 2028 and 2029 will follow the rule you have now.
From April 2030, he wants an "adjusted triple lock". Your pension would go up each year by prices or 2.5%, whichever is more. It would also keep up with how much pay has grown since 2030, but not jump up with pay in a single year.
On 2 October it was reported that the law for this will be passed before the next election. The change would still start in April 2030.
Type in your pension. Then pick what is happening to prices and pay. You will see how much your pension goes up with the rule now, and how much it could go up with the new rule. These are just examples. They are not a guess about the future.
£241.30 is the full new State Pension in 2026 to 2027. You can change it to your own amount.
What is happening this year?
The examples are set in the late 2030s, after the new rule has run for a few years. They follow the new rule as described by the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Some details are not set yet, so real rises could be a bit different.
Right now, the State Pension goes up each year by whichever of these is biggest: how fast prices went up, how fast pay went up, or 2.5%. This is called the triple lock.
The trouble is that when prices jump, pay usually jumps a year later to catch up. So pensions go up twice for the same thing.
This happened in 2023 and 2024. Prices jumped, so pensions went up 10.1%. The next year pay caught up, so pensions went up another 8.5%.
This makes pensions cost more and more over time. In 2022 the government stopped the triple lock for a year because the numbers had gone wrong.
To be fair and clear: the government would spend less because pensions would go up a bit less in some years. It says the money would help pay for a new National Care Service.
Will my pension change before 2030?
No. The rises in April 2027, 2028 and 2029 will follow the triple lock you have now.
Could my pension go down?
No. Under the new rule it would go up by at least 2.5% every year, even if prices fall.
Will it keep up with prices?
Yes, every year. It will always go up by at least as much as prices.
What about the 2.5% promise?
It stays. Every year, your pension would go up by at least 2.5%.
Will it keep up with pay?
Yes, over time. The new rule checks how much pay has grown since 2030. If pensions fall behind, they catch up. If pensions are ahead, for example after prices jump, they go up by prices or 2.5% until pay catches up.
So could I get less?
In some years, yes. This mostly happens the year after prices jump, when pay catches up. The rule now pays out for that twice. The new rule pays out once. The Institute for Fiscal Studies says the difference would be small at first and grow over time.
Will pensions still beat rising prices?
Yes. The Institute for Fiscal Studies looked at what would have happened if the new rule had been used since 2010. The pension would still have grown 6% faster than prices.
Could I ever get more?
In some years, yes. If pensions have fallen behind pay since 2030, the new rule helps them catch up.
Is everything decided?
Not yet. The law has not been passed. Some details, like which measure of pay is used, are not set yet. Details could change before 2030.
What does care have to do with it?
The Prime Minister wants a National Care Service, a bit like the NHS but for care. He says money saved from the pension change would help pay for it. The details are still being worked out.
Where can I find out more?
For questions about your own pension, contact the Pension Service or visit gov.uk/state-pension. For a full explanation of the new rule, see How will the new triple lock work? from the Institute for Fiscal Studies. For charts comparing other ideas, see What are the alternatives? from the Centre for British Progress.