How a country looks after its people in older age is one of the key tests of a fair and just society.

Ensuring a good standard of living in retirement and into old age is an essential responsibility of any government that wants to consider itself socially just.

In recent decades there has been a huge shift towards private or workplace pensions being the main provision, but should that mean the state pension should be allowed to diminish?

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The state pension should and must be at a level where people can live and look after themselves with security and dignity.

Pensions have been in the spotlight in the last couple of weeks.

First, the recklessness of the new Prime Minister and last week’s chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, put the private and workplace pensions of millions of people at risk as financial markets told the Tories they were reckless and economically illiterate.

Then Nicola Sturgeon’s latest economic prospectus paper for independence said an independent Scotland would be responsible for paying the pensions of people in an independent Scotland.

And with inflation running at above 10% it remains to be seen if the UK Government will honour the triple lock guarantee on pensions, which means they increase each year in line with earnings, 2.5% or inflation or whatever is highest. 

Inflation is by far the highest this year.

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Two weeks ago, Truss said she would honour the triple lock commitment. This week the UK Government says the Prime Minister is “not making any commitments”.

Then today, Truss said she was "committed" to the triple lock. 

It is no real surprise if people are confused because the Prime Minister doesn’t seem to have a clue what she is doing.

The triple lock was suspended last year because earnings were too high to match and now inflation is too high.

If it is not going to be increased then it is not a guarantee at all.

So how well does the UK fare on pension provision?

The full state pension for those who qualify is £185.15 per week or £9627 a year.

It is around 30% of the average earnings in the UK.

If you are on the state pension and have no other income and a small amount of savings you will likely qualify for pension credit.

According to the UK Government calculator, a pensioner living on their own in a rented property would get £13 a week to top up their pension. Other benefits like housing and council tax benefit may also supplement income.

In France, the state pension pays up to a maximum of 50% of average earnings, around €40,000 a year. It depends on contributions and years worked and can start to be drawn down at age 62, but full pension only after age 67.

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In Germany, people pay into a mandatory state fund of around 18% of earnings. In return workers on the average salary can expect a pension of 50% of their salary.

In Spain, the level is dependent on contributions and the average is just under €11,000 a year, workers pay almost 25% of their salary into the pot.

In Scandinavian countries, which many independence supporters have aspirations to emulate, pensions have a good reputation.

Denmark’s state pension is the equivalent of almost £400 a week and Finland and Sweden are considered among the best in the world

Financial management firm Black Tower provides a table ranking state pensions around the world.

Finland, Poland, Sweden, Slovenia and France make up its top five based on factors including state spending, retirement age and personal contributions.

The UK does not make the top 20.

So, the UK is not exactly a gold standard for state pension provision.

Pensioner poverty rates are on the rise again.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation said in 2020: “Since 2013/14 when pensioner poverty started rising again, the rise has been from 12% to 16% for males and from 14% to 20% for females.”

Would it be better in an independent Scotland?

There is nothing definite in the independence paper about what level of pension people would get.

When folk want certainty, particularly when not able to work any longer, this is a key question that must be answered.

Questions are being asked both by people who support independence and those who are opposed to it.

Is it to merely match the current provision, then the ambition for an independent Scotland is not very high.

The First Minister has said UK Government imposed Brexit and austerity is “doing real damage to our economy, public services, mortgage costs and pensions".

She also said there is no guarantee of success with independence and that there will be uncertainty if Scotland stays in the UK.

Sturgeon, rightly, says it depends on the decisions taken.

Whether responsibility for pensions remains with the UK or with an independent Scottish Government, the welfare of people in old age needs to be secured.

Older people, particularly those mostly or wholly reliant on the state pension, deserve better.