Better Together campaigners have asked the Scottish Government, which is spearheading the campaign for independence, to address the issue of funding and affordability of pensions if there is a Yes vote on September 18.

However, the SNP says Labour has a ‘cheek’ to raise the issue of pensions, especially as Scotland has one of the lowest state pensions in Europe.

Last week, Dumbarton and the Vale MP and MSP, Gemma Doyle and Jackie Baillie, jointly called on First Minister Alex Salmond and Yes vote supporters to explain how state pensions in an independent Scotland, and the implications of EU regulations on cross border pension schemes would work.

Jackie said: “I know from speaking to voters on the doorsteps in Dumbarton and the Vale of Leven that many people are still looking for answers on what would happen to our pensions. People want to know what currency they would be paid in and whether it would remain affordable with our aging population” She was speaking after members of Scottish Labour’s Shadow Cabinet also challenged Mr Salmond to provide greater clarity on the issue.  With less than four weeks until the vote, Gemma Doyle also said up to 3,000 Scottish occupational pension schemes are facing funding shortfalls.

She told the Reporter: “Time and again people ask me what will happen to their pensions if Scotland becomes independent and the Yes campaign just don’t have the answers.

“The UK has always paid pensions on time and in full. Against that, we have Alex Salmond’s assertion that everything will be fine in an independent Scotland. It just isn’t good enough.”  Critics suggest the future of UK bodies, such as the Pension Protection Fund, which currently pays and manages the pensions of 24,000 Scots, is also unclear.

Better Together campaigners believe the future of pensions in the UK can be secured by continuing to pool and share resources within. In doing this already, they say, this has “directly contributed” to Scotland receiving £200 million more for pensions and pension credits than it would through a standard UK distribution of payments by population.

Ms Doyle added: “EU law demands that all cross border pension schemes be fully-funded, but we still don’t know how Alex Salmond plans to fill a shortfall that could run into billions, and which could cast doubt on the future of thousands of occupational pensions. We also don’t know whether there will be a Scottish equivalent of the Pension Protection Fund.” The SNP says the paper, ‘Pensions in an independent Scotland’ demonstrates how pension rights will continue to be honoured after independence and no accrued pension rights will be lost. SNP man for the West of Scotland, Stuart McMillan MSP said the No campaign had “a cheek” to talk pensions saying the UK have one of the lowest pensions in Europe and one of the highest pensions age.

He added: “In other words we work longer and get less in pensions than most other EU countries. With a ‘Yes’ vote pensions will continue to be paid in full and on time, as now. “Even the UK Pensions Minister said that pensions would be secure following independence when replying to the Scottish Affairs Committee in May. Scotland is a wealthy country and with independence we’d be ranked the 14th wealthiest nation per head within the OECD. This compares to the UK’s rank of 18th.”