The Leader of the Council has called a proposal to the government over moving pension rise forward "a good idea." 

Mr. Stuart Young was responding to a plan put forward by charity Stepchange. 

"People are experiencing the cost increases now. It would be a one-time cash injection to get people through the year." 

The State Pension is index-linked and protected by a Triple Lock. This means that as inflation rises, the State Pension rises as well.

However the current increases will not kick in until the next tax year in April 2023. 

Benefits and state pension only went up by 3.1% in April, to match the inflation rate in September 2021. 

This is nowhere near the current inflation rate of 9%. 

"Older people and those with disabilities will be worried about the price increase. Houses may not use much gas over the summer but that will change by next winter, especially in the North where it gets colder." 

The Treasury said that there are technical limitations to bringing pension rises forward. However economists at many think tanks think that there would be little effect on public finance if the Treasury brought forward the increase.