If the BBC politics page for 3 November is correct, it looks like we could all be in for a bigger robbery from our pensions than the RPI/CPI swindle. Essentially it looks as if the esteemed Government is considering squirming out from paying even CPI increases if it can.
"Freezing payments
The Financial Times is reporting that Chancellor George Osborne has asked officials for alternative models, including a rise in line with average earnings growth of about 2.5% or freezing some payments.
It is understood the government will have "resolved" the options by early December when the uprating of benefits is presented to Parliament.
The Institute of Fiscal Studies has calculated that the 5.2% September inflation figure will add £1.8bn to welfare spending next year.
It said freezing all benefits and pensions would save about £10bn and linking benefits increases to wage rises would save £5bn.
A further option of switching from the September inflation figure to an average inflation figure calculated over six months could save about £1.4bn, the IFS added.
'Difficult decisions'
During a visit to RAF crews in Lincoln, Mr Clegg said: "I think we all know that we are having to do something extremely difficult.
"But we have been very, very clear, we're not going to balance the books on the backs of the poor. That will remain our guiding principle as we continue to take these difficult decisions in the weeks, months and years to come."
Liam Byrne, shadow work and pensions secretary, said: "Pensioners up and down the country struggling with rising heating bills and worried about the winter ahead will now be worried sick about rumours that the Tory-led Government is about to bin its commitment to triple lock the increase in pensions.
He called for Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith to "come clean" about whether the triple lock was government policy now and next year, or another broken promise.
The coalition's so-called "triple lock" policy meant that from April 2011 the basic state pension would rise each year in line with average earnings, prices or 2.5%, whichever was the most.
In 2011, the relevant measure of price inflation was the retail prices index but from next year it will be the consumer prices index."
Has anyone heard what progress has been made in the High Court in the RPI/CPI court case? - it has all gone deathly quiet for over a week!