A UK Cabinet minister has repeatedly refused to rule out the possibility that the country's poorest pensioners could be liable for income tax.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds faced questions regarding the state pension's expected 3.9% increase in April. This rise could push the full new state pension just above the basic rate tax threshold of £13,000 for the first time.
During a morning media round, Reynolds was asked multiple times if a previous commitment made by Rachel Reeves to prevent retirees who rely solely on the state pension from paying tax would be upheld. He consistently deflected the inquiries.
"I'm sorry, that is for the Chancellor and for a Budget," Reynolds told BBC Breakfast. He added that "the majority of pensioners in this country don't just rely on the state pensions. Some do, I accept that, but the majority don't."
He suggested that discussions about the issue should consider the "full range of income retired people in the UK have."
The state pension's 'triple lock' policy, established over a decade ago, dictates that the pension increases annually by the highest of inflation, average earnings growth, or 2.5%.
Recent earnings figures for the three months ending in July showed wage growth of 3.9%. If inflation does not significantly increase from its current 2.9% rate, this 3.9% figure is expected to be used for the state pension increase from April.
This would raise the full new state pension from £241.30 per week to approximately £250.70, exceeding £13,000 annually. Analysts noted that even the lowest possible increase under the triple lock, 2.5%, would result in the full state pension surpassing the personal allowance of £12,570. While the government has previously stated that individuals receiving only state pension income above the personal allowance would not be taxed on the benefit, details on the mechanism for this remain unclear.