He said that many elderly people are “struggling” because of rising energy bills at the moment.

“I represent many of those people. I don’t represent a wealthy part of the country, and there are lots of older people who find the last years of their life tough, and unlike the rest of us, they can’t just go out and do some more hours or try and get a different job or set up a sort of side hustle to make a bit more money,” he said.

The Triple Lock guarantees that the state pension rises in line with average earnings, inflation or 2.5% each year.

Both Labour and the Conservatives have said they are committed to the Triple Lock.

But Mr Farage, speaking at a Bloomberg interview on Thursday in Davos, said that the Triple Lock, along with every other current government policy, is “up for discussion”.

“My main target of cuts is excessive welfare spending,” he said.

“I get the argument of the triple lock [that it’s too dear], it’s something we’ll come to over time.

“You can’t blame young people for being pretty cheesed off in Britain, because they can’t even aspire to have the thing their parents or grandparents have, and that’s a real, real problem.”

The Express has campaigned tirelessly to protect the Triple Lock.

The Office for Budget Responsibility says the triple lock has pushed up the spending on the state pension by £12billion a year, compared to if it had been uprated in line with average earnings.

Dennis Reed, director of the Silver Voices campaign group, said: “Nigel Farage is flirting with dynamite by calling the future of the Triple Lock into question.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has said she does not want to scrap the Triple Lock “now” but said “lets see what mess Labour leaves for us”.

During a previous episode of Expresso, Sir Mel Stride vowed the Conservative Party will “stand by” it.

But prominent Tory MPs Sir Edward Leigh and Tom Tugendhat have criticised the policy.

Reform UK Civil War Erupts Over State Pension Triple Lock as Jenrick and Farage Split

Reform UK has found itself at the centre of an internal political row over the future of Britain’s state pension, after contrasting comments from Nigel Farage and Robert Jenrick exposed an apparent disagreement over one of the country’s most politically sensitive welfare policies.

The dispute centres on the pension triple lock, which guarantees that the state pension rises each year by whichever is highest among inflation, average earnings growth or 2.5 per cent.

For millions of pensioners, the policy is an important mechanism for protecting the value of their retirement income. For politicians attempting to control government spending, however, it represents a significant long-term financial commitment.

The issue has therefore placed Reform in a difficult position as it attempts to combine promises of lower government spending with assurances to pensioners.

Robert Jenrick, Reform’s Treasury spokesperson, has repeatedly supported maintaining the triple lock. Farage, meanwhile, previously said the policy remained open for debate. The contrasting statements created questions about whether the party had a settled position on pensions.

The Triple Lock at the Centre of the Dispute

The state pension triple lock was introduced by the Conservative-led government in 2010.

Under the mechanism, the state pension increases annually according to whichever is highest: inflation, average earnings growth or 2.5 per cent.

The purpose is to protect pensioners from losing purchasing power while also ensuring that pension income keeps pace with broader economic changes.

But the policy has long been controversial because the cost can rise substantially when inflation or wage growth increases rapidly.

For Reform UK, that creates a particular challenge.

The party has presented itself as committed to reducing government waste and bringing down public spending. At the same time, it wants to appeal to pensioners, an important group of voters.

That tension became particularly visible when Jenrick and Farage appeared to give different answers about whether Reform would guarantee the triple lock.

Jenrick’s Position

Robert Jenrick has taken a clear position in favour of protecting the policy.

Speaking about the issue, Jenrick said he supported retaining the triple lock and argued that pensioners who had worked throughout their lives should be able to expect security in retirement.

At the Reform UK conference, he said he would retain the triple lock if he became Chancellor. He argued that he could not look a pensioner in the eye after a lifetime of work and tell them that their pension security would be reduced while there was still significant waste elsewhere in the public sector.

His position fits into a broader argument that Reform can finance the policy by making reductions elsewhere in government spending.

Jenrick has argued that Reform would take a much tougher approach to welfare spending and seek substantial savings.

In April, he told LBC that Reform would be “very tough” on reducing the welfare bill, arguing that savings from welfare reform could help fund the pension commitment.

The argument is therefore not simply that the triple lock should be maintained regardless of cost.

Jenrick’s position is that the government should identify savings elsewhere in the budget to make the commitment affordable.

Farage’s Earlier Comments

Nigel Farage’s position has appeared less settled.

Earlier in 2026, when questioned about the triple lock, Farage said he had not changed his mind and that the policy was “open for debate”.

Those comments suggested that Reform had not yet committed itself to maintaining the mechanism indefinitely.

That position created an obvious contrast with Jenrick’s public support for the policy.

Sky News reported that after Jenrick indicated Reform would protect the triple lock, Farage subsequently spoke to journalists and said the issue was still open for debate.

The difference was politically significant because Jenrick was taking responsibility for Reform’s Treasury brief.

If the party’s senior economic spokesman says the triple lock will be protected while the party leader says the question remains open, voters may reasonably ask which position represents Reform’s actual policy.

The disagreement therefore became more than a technical argument about pensions. It raised questions about policy coordination within a party attempting to demonstrate that it is ready for government.

Farage Changes Course

The situation subsequently changed.

In April, Farage announced that Reform would commit to maintaining the triple lock if the party came to power.

He argued that critics focused too heavily on the cost of the policy while overlooking potential savings elsewhere in government.

Farage said Reform could fund the triple lock by cutting waste and changing its spending priorities.

That announcement brought Farage’s position closer to Jenrick’s.

The two men were therefore no longer publicly advocating completely different pension policies.

Nevertheless, the earlier disagreement remained significant because it exposed an unresolved question about how Reform intends to balance tax and spending reductions with long-term commitments to public services and pensioners.

The Bigger Economic Challenge

The triple-lock argument is part of a much larger economic debate inside Reform UK.

The party has promised significant reductions in government spending while also proposing tax changes and commitments across areas including pensions, healthcare, energy and public services.

That combination creates difficult questions about the size of savings required to finance Reform’s programme.

Jenrick has attempted to address the issue through welfare reform.

In April, he argued that Reform would reduce welfare spending by tightening eligibility and taking a tougher approach to claims that the party believes could be reduced.

The party has also discussed reductions in the size of the public sector and cuts to administrative and regulatory structures.

At its 2026 conference, Jenrick argued that regulators and other public bodies should reduce their headcount as part of Reform’s attempt to reduce government expenditure.

The underlying question is whether those savings would be sufficient to finance the party’s other commitments.

That is ultimately an economic and political question rather than simply a disagreement between two politicians.

Why Pensioners Matter

The political sensitivity surrounding the triple lock is easy to understand.

The state pension provides income to millions of people across Britain, and changes to its value can have a direct impact on household finances.

Pension policy is therefore closely watched by older voters.

Reform’s decision to guarantee the triple lock places the party alongside other major parties that have historically supported some form of pension protection.

At the same time, Reform has built part of its political identity around reducing government spending.

Maintaining the triple lock therefore requires the party to explain where the money will come from.

Farage’s answer has been that the state can make savings elsewhere.

Jenrick has similarly emphasised welfare reform and reductions in government expenditure.

The difference between the two is therefore less about the principle of protecting pensioners now and more about how Reform should approach the wider fiscal problem.

The Risk of Mixed Messages

The dispute nevertheless illustrates one of the challenges facing Reform as it becomes a larger political organisation.

During its earlier years, Reform could operate with a relatively small policy structure and rely heavily on Farage’s personal political leadership.

That becomes more complicated as more senior politicians join the party.

Jenrick is a former Conservative Cabinet minister and now has responsibility for Reform’s economic agenda. Other former Conservatives, including Suella Braverman and Nadhim Zahawi, have also brought government experience into the party.

As Reform expands, different politicians inevitably bring different priorities and approaches.

The pension argument demonstrates why a growing party needs clear policy-making structures.

If senior figures issue contradictory statements, opponents can question whether Reform has fully developed its plans for government.

Sky News described the pension episode as part of a broader series of disagreements and policy changes within Reform, including debates over taxation and welfare.

That scrutiny is likely to increase as the party attempts to present itself as a credible alternative government.

From Outsider Movement to Potential Governing Party

The pension controversy is particularly important because Reform has increasingly moved beyond its earlier identity as a protest-oriented political organisation.

The party now has experienced MPs, former ministers, a wider frontbench and a much more developed policy agenda.

That creates higher expectations.

A party campaigning from opposition can say that existing policies are unaffordable. A party presenting itself as a potential government must explain exactly what it would do instead.

The triple lock is a good example.

Reform can support the policy, but then it must explain how it would be financed.

It can oppose the policy, but then it must explain what would replace it and how pensioners would be protected from inflation and wage increases.

It can also leave the issue open to debate, but that creates uncertainty for voters.

Farage’s eventual commitment to the triple lock therefore provided greater clarity than his earlier comments.

Jenrick’s Role in Reform

Jenrick’s position is also significant because of his role within Reform’s economic team.

His move from the Conservatives to Reform represented one of the party’s most important political defections.

He brought experience from government and from the Conservative leadership contest.

Since joining Reform, he has become one of the party’s principal voices on taxation, spending and welfare.

His support for the triple lock therefore gives the policy considerable weight within Reform’s economic programme.

His argument is essentially that pensioners should not bear the burden of fiscal savings while the government still has other areas of expenditure that can be reduced.

Whether the proposed savings would ultimately cover the cost is a separate question that would depend on the details of Reform’s future spending plans.

A Broader Debate About Reform’s Direction

The triple-lock controversy also reflects a wider debate about what kind of political organisation Reform wants to become.

Farage has historically combined free-market economic ideas with opposition to high taxation and government bureaucracy.

At the same time, Reform has sought to appeal to voters who want stronger protection for public services and social security.

That combination can create tensions.

Pensioners may support a strong state pension guarantee, while other voters may prioritise lower taxes.

Younger voters may have different concerns about how pension spending affects public finances over the long term.

Reform therefore faces the challenge of constructing an economic programme that addresses these competing interests.

The disagreement between Farage and Jenrick briefly exposed that tension in public.

What the Dispute Reveals

The phrase “civil war” may be dramatic, but the available evidence points more clearly to a policy disagreement and subsequent clarification than to a confirmed organisational split.

Farage and Jenrick initially gave different signals about the triple lock. Farage said the issue was open for debate, while Jenrick supported maintaining it. Farage later committed Reform to keeping the triple lock, bringing the party’s public position closer to Jenrick’s.

The episode nevertheless matters because pensions are one of the biggest long-term spending commitments facing any British government.

It also demonstrates the difficulty Reform faces as it develops a more detailed economic programme.

The party wants to reduce government expenditure while promising to protect pensioners. Its solution is to seek savings elsewhere, particularly through welfare reform and reductions in public-sector spending.

Whether those measures would be sufficient can only be assessed through the detailed fiscal plans accompanying any future Reform manifesto.

For now, the triple-lock dispute has highlighted an important transition for Reform UK.

The party is no longer simply campaigning against the policies of Labour and the Conservatives. It is increasingly being asked to explain how it would govern.

And when senior figures such as Nigel Farage and Robert Jenrick appear to disagree, even temporarily, the episode becomes a test of the party’s policy-making discipline.

The final position is now clearer: Reform has committed to maintaining the state pension triple lock, while Jenrick has argued that the policy should be financed through reductions in welfare spending and government waste.

The continuing debate will therefore focus not only on whether the triple lock survives, but on the wider question of how Reform would balance pension protection with its promises to reduce the size and cost of the state.

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