Free bus passes and prescriptions for pensioners will not be scrapped in Budget

Free bus passes and prescriptions for pensioners will be protected in the Budget, the Mirror understands.

Rachel Reeves is expected to shield the benefits after fears older people could lose out as she battles to fix the economic mess left behind by the Tories. It comes amid fears from campaigners that the state-funded benefits could face the chop after Ms Reeves announced plans to cut the winter fuel allowance for 10 million pensioners.

Keir Starmer was grilled on whether he would protect free prescriptions and free bus passes as he travelled to a Commonwealth summit in Samoa. He said: “I’m not going to pre-empt that but we do want to make sure that pensioners are properly protected, of course we do.”

It is understood that there are no plans to axe either benefit on October 30. Mr Starmer said the Budget will “define the way in which we will approach the economy” in what could be a make-or-break moment for the Government.

The PM said there was “no reason” for entrepreneurs to leave the UK amid reports that speculation over capital gains tax hikes was putting off business start-ups and foreign investors. Asked if he thinks entrepreneurs may want to leave the UK following reported tax increases in the Budget, he reporters: “There is no reason for them to.”

Pointing to the recent investment summit in London, he said: “All the feedback back to us has been that it was very well received by a significant number of global investors.”

Asked for his thoughts on the significance of the Budget, he said: “Is it going to be an important Budget? Yes, it is. It’s the first one for 15 years, the first Labour Budget. It’s our first opportunity to define the way in which we will approach the economy, and that’s why I say we will fix the foundations and rebuild the country.”