Andy Burnham confirms £12,570 payments for state pensioners born after 1951 if he becomes PM

The new state pension will rise above £12,570 from next year under the Triple Lock

06:57, 23 Jun 2026Updated 07:02, 23 Jun 2026

Andy Burnham confirms £12,570 payments for state pensioners born after 1951 if he becomes PM

Andy Burnham has confirmed bumper £12,570 payments for state pensioners born after 1951 if he becomes Prime Minister. Mr Burnham, who is widely anticipated to become the next Prime Minister, has backed Labour Party Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ policy to allow pensioners to escape paying income tax as the state benefit rises above the personal allowance threshold.

The new state pension will rise above £12,570 from next year under the Triple Lock, which Mr Burnham has also committed to. The new state pension is for men born before 1951 and women born before 1953.

Mr Burnham’s pledge comes despite critics calling for the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) triple lock pledge to be scrapped. Martin Rayner, financial adviser at Compton Financial Services, said: “Welfare spending now exceeds income tax revenues and is still rising.

READ MORE Drivers over age 55 could be banned amid test 91% look set to fail

“At some point politicians have to decide whether they keep making promises or start dealing with reality.

“Reform is inevitable. Scrapping it outright would be politically toxic, but moving to a link based on earnings or inflation over a longer timeframe is far more likely.”

Fidelity’s Ed Monk said: “Its effect has been dramatic. The full State Pension has been set at £230.25 a week, or £11,973 a year, for the 2025/26 tax year.

“We now know that, for 2026/27, the payment will rise by 4.8% – that’s the increase for wage rises which this year is the highest of the three measures.

“That will take the State Pension in 2026/27 to £241.30 a week or £12,548 a year. Consider that as recently as the 2022/23 tax year it was just £185.15 a week – meaning it’s risen more than 30% in four years.”

Mr Burnham said the government needs to help pensioners who were being drawn into paying income tax thresholds which have been frozen.

He said it would be “very damaging” to break from Labour’s manifesto commitment, adding that an initial decision to scrap winter fuel payments “still comes up on doorsteps a lot here in Makerfield”.

Praising the Triple Lock hike this year, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said: “I know global shocks, and the effects they have on our living costs, will be increasing anxiety for many households.

“This government will always protect our pensioners, and that’s why we are raising the full rate of new State Pension by up to £575 this coming year.

And Minister for Pensions Torsten Bell said: “After a lifetime of work and contribution, people deserve a decent retirement.

“Raising the State Pensions faster than prices, ensuring it is a pension they can rely on, is how we make that a reality for millions.