PENSIONS (SCOTLAND) We know, by the DWP’s own admission, that the UK government is obliged to keep paying the state pension to anyone who’s qualified for it, no matter where they live. If you emigrate to Spain you still get your UK pension, because you paid for it during your working life and you’re entitled to it, like any other pension. That applies to pensioners who live in Scotland the same as it does to anyone else. They’ve paid their contributions to the UK government and it’s the UK government that owes them their pension even if they go and live in a foreign country. The ramifications of that are that if Scotland becomes independent, every pensioner in Scotland will effectively “emigrate” overnight. They’ll be living in a “foreign” country – as Labour in particular never tires of reminding us – but will still be entitled to their UK pension just like anyone who emigrates to Marbella is. And what that means is that on day 1 of independence, Scotland will, to all intents and purposes, have no pensioners at all. Everyone of pension age will be the responsibility, pension-wise, of the UK government.
Posted on: Wed, 09 Jul 2014 17:01:55 +0000