ALBA have launched their own series of white papers spelling out what could be achieved with Scottish independence.
The first report in the series from former first minister Alex Salmond’s party focuses on pensions, an area which the SNP government’s white papers have not yet addressed.
In their paper, Alba outline proposals for a “Scottish triple lock” on the state pension – and for state pension payments to be phased in in increasing rates.
Alba argue that people aged 62 should begin to receive one-fifth of their pension entitlement. This would increase to two-fifths at 63, three-fifths and 64, and full pension payments at age 65.
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The Alba report says: “Phased pensions enable retirees to strike a better balance between work and leisure in their later years.
“Retirees can use the additional free time to pursue hobbies, spend time with family, or engage in leisure activities while still earning an income from part-time work.”
The paper also calls for a Scottish triple lock on pensions, modelled on the UK government’s current triple lock.
As it stands in the UK, the state pension increases each April in line with the highest measure out of inflation, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), average wage increases in the UK, or 2.5%.
Alba propose adjusting this policy so that the state pension instead rises each year in line with the highest measure out of inflation as measured by the Retail Price Index (RPI), average wage increases in the UK, or 5%.
The RPI is an older measure of inflation and is generally higher than CPI.
The Alba paper states: “A new 'Scottish pension triple lock' in an independent Scotland will aim to enhance pension payments significantly compared to current UK rates.
“The proposal seeks to address concerns regarding pension adequacy and align Scottish pension levels more closely with those of other European nations.”
It adds: “By leveraging economic resources strategically and implementing progressive policies post-independence, Scotland aims to exceed international standards in pension provision, reflecting a progressive and compassionate approach to governance and societal well-being.
“This proposal aligns with broader efforts to ensure fairness, sustainability, and prosperity for all citizens in an independent Scotland.”
Commenting on the launch of the Alba white paper, the party’s general secretary Chris McEleny said: “Pensions are a favourite scare story of the Unionists. Some of them even claim that the UK would not honour the contributions made by Scottish pensioners if we became independent.
“But the reality is that pensions are not funded by historic contributions but from current revenue and thus it is the Scottish Government which can and would guarantee the payment benefits.
“The only real question about pensions in an independent Scotland is how quickly a Scottish Government would be able to correct course and increase them to bring them into line with the rest of Europe and the developed world from the current miserable UK levels.
“In an independent Scotland, Alba expect to see pensions rise as quickly as possible. This would be achieved by introducing a new Scottish state pension triple lock which, based on today’s figures, would mean that after a period of five years a Scottish State Pension would stand at over £1000 more per year than the UK state pension.
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“Scotland is an energy rich nation and we are on the threshold of unleashing an enormous renewables bounty that will last for years to come.
“Independence gives Scotland the choice to make different decisions – and a key choice we must make is to improve the quality of life of our pensioners.”
To date, the SNP government has published 13 white papers in its “Building a New Scotland” series initially launched under former first minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Work on the papers has been paused during the General Election campaign, but is expected to restart after the vote on July 4.
You can find the first Alba white paper on pensions on their website albaparty.org.
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