This Guardian letters page collects reader responses to earlier coverage of whether the UK's pensions triple lock should be scrapped, revealing sharply divided opinion among the public on the policy. The debate matters because the triple lock, which guarantees the state pension rises by the highest of inflation, average earnings growth or 2.5%, has become a major point of contention over public spending, intergenerational fairness and how the UK supports both pensioners and younger people amid ongoing economic pressures.

Correspondents note that the new state pension stands at just over £12,547 a year, with older pensioners on a basic rate of £9,615, both below the European average of roughly £13,800; one writer argues pensioners' spending supports the wider economy and that the personal tax allowance of £12,570 means many already pay tax. Others argue the triple lock has achieved its purpose and that pensioners, like working people, should contribute income tax and national insurance rather than see incomes outpace everyone else's. A further letter contrasts a weekly state pension of £241.30, after 46 years of contributions, with the higher minimum wage for an 18-year-old apprentice, while another questions whether critics who enjoy generous private pensions truly understand life on the state pension alone.