Shropshire pensioners give mixed views on cost of living crisis and triple lock controversy
Pensioners in Shropshire were split between adopting a 'wartime spirit' as the cost of living crisis grips or lambasting the Government for even thinking about unpicking the 'triple lock' that protects the state pension.
One pensioner who still works at the age of 75 wants others of his age to get out and work as a way to protect their incomes, while others blasted Liz Truss's wounded Government for contemplating not increasing their pensions by the rate of inflation.
Prime Minister Truss told MPs on Wednesday that she is committed to the triple lock which says that the state pension must rise by whatever is higher - prices, average wages or 2.5 per cent.
Former civil servant Paul Kemlo, aged 72, from St George's, thinks it would be a 'wrong move' to unpick the triple lock.
"It would cost the Conservatives a lot of votes, it would be very foolish," said Mr Kemlo, who was with a group of walkers heading off from Wellington's leisure centre on Wednesday.
"I used to be a civil servant and the PM was the boss but you have to question that now."
Mr Kemlo said he has "some control" over his own cost of living but sees the rise in energy bills as a 'bit more concerning'.
"Money saving expert Martin Lewis was talking about average bills going up to £4,300 next year, which is a lot of money.
"I have just had my gas and electricity bill of £161 and that was for just getting through the summer. We are only in the first two weeks of October."
Ann Bufton, aged 77, from Wellington, said she was "used to everything going up" but the "price of everything is now unbelievable".
But Mrs Bufton believes there are people in a worse place than her and her husband, including those who haven't been able to pay money into a pension.
However she added: "When people say they cannot afford anything to eat, I don't believe that." She says people can be more aware of cheaper brands.
She was not complimentary about Prime Minister Truss.
"I don't trust her," she said. "I think she is a complete and utter waste of time. Some of the other politicians can't string a phrase together, although Jeremy Hunt seems to be better."
The Shropshire Star caught Chris Broad, aged 80, and his wife Gill, aged 79, as they rushed to the Orbit cinema to catch a matinee screening. The couple have lived in Wellington for 40 years.
Mr Broad said: "I am more concerned about the grandchildren and whether they can get on the property ladder. My daughter has left teaching because of the pressures. We are not living in a civilised time.
"I have never come across such a shambolic government situation in my time. We are living in the dog days of a Government, like Mrs Thatcher had, and Tony Blair with the Iraq war. This is the Tories' c**k-up.
"Boris Johnson had to go and this so-called Prime Minister was elected on a minority of Conservative members. She is incompetent and has failed."
As Mrs Broad headed off, not to miss the start of their cinematic experience, Mr Broad added that "the whole problem is that the Government is only interested in people with wealth, not the ordinary working people".
Near the other end of the political spectrum, natural Conservative voter Kevin Nicholl, aged 64, said he was among the 21 per cent of people who have been able to give up working before the aged of 65.
But as he approaches the state pension age he added: "I am coming up to my official state pension age and think the triple lock should stay."
Mr Nicholl says he will probably vote Conservative again because he "can't see myself voting for Labour."
But as a supporter of Rishi Sunak in the leadership election, he was still scathing about Prime Minister Truss.
"You can't have a leader who changes her mind. She should go and be replaced quickly," he said.
Questions of rising prices and the triple lock don't bother hardworking Rob Miles, aged 75 from Shrewsbury, who is still working as a slaughterman.
"It is going to happen, we have no choice in the matters," he said. "You've got to get on with it and not rely on other people.
"I don't think the pension should go up, I'm still working. It's not people on pensions now who should be worried - it's people in 20 years' time we should be worried about."
Eighty-four year old Elma, who did not wish to give her surname, said as a six-year-old during the Second World War she remembers the wartime spirit and believes people should take a leaf out of that generation's book.
"We came through the war, we did not have much and we got on with it," she said.
