Pressure increases on Rishi Sunak to suspend triple lock on pensions

Claim that wages element of formula is distorted by pandemic backed by latest figures, which would mean rise of over 8%

Rishi Sunak has come under further pressure to suspend the state pension triple lock after wage figures showed that the chancellor is on course to pay pensioners a rise of more than 8% next year.

Sunak is understood to be considering telling Britain's 12 million state pension claimants that the pandemic has artificially inflated the official wages figures and a new formula is needed to calculate the rise in the basic state pension for next year.

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