The UK will not cease to exist. There is zero chance of that. England, Wales and NI will continue as the UK. They will be the continuing state. That is agreed by all sides.
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No, strangely seemingly quite excited by another definite snag, which is definitely going to be a huge issue we can’t get round, that must have stopped every other country who’s ever considered independence in the past going through with it.
Still, at least it got the hibs.netter together reps active again 👍
Funny that the EU and UK still collaborate on pensions for citizens who have paid into UK and EU schemes despite the UK leaving the EU.
So we're not just too wee, too poor and too stupid to run our own affairs, we're now too old.
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I’m not really in for a shock am I? Come independence up here I’m willing to bet anything you like that the pension I get will be at least equal to what the rUK will be getting. It’ll be paid for in exactly the same way it would be just now too. I certainly believe that. Might even be more.Other forward thinking European countries seem to manage it.
What's so difficult about an independent Scotland paying it's pensions for the people of an independent Scotland? That's what I am saying will happen.
If you think the rUK will somehow keep paying it and increase the taxes of the people left in rUK to fund it and that's a message you think would work well in any campaign then crack on.
I guess my point is that Scotland will pay Scottish pensions. It will be part of an overall agreement but in reality we take the tax payers and so we pay the pension at whatever level can be afforded. Other than that there is nothing to agree
This nonsense about Westminster being liable legally is just setting up a grievance to wind people up
I knew Gers would come in handy some time. These are not my figures, so I've not checked them. Maybe those worried about pensions would like to do so. 😭
Scottish state pensions will be more than covered by Scottish NI.
Annual NI = £11476m
Annual Pensions = £8517m
Leaves £2959m surplus for other benefits.
Source Table 1.1 & Box 3.2 GERS 2021
Not sure what Wales think of that. :wink:
"as we know it" makes it make sense though - the UK would change significantly if Scotland left.
The pension question is a good one and the example of an expat having contributed to NI then leaving still getting his pension is an interesting example, but I think it boils down to the difference between a person leaving the UK and a tax base leaving the UK.
There's no pot of money waiting to pay our pensions (I'm 30 so doubt I'll see any pension regardless!), it's done on a cash in and out basis with the current tax base paying for the current pensioners. I think it makes sense that when a tax base leaves (Scotland) then pensioners from that tax base wouldn't receive the pension from the remainder of the tax base.
As already mentioned though iScotland would then have its own tax base in its own right to pay for the pensioners here so the net result isn't that different to where we are now anyway (just a realisation of the notional deficit that'll exist between pension contributions and payments that are Scotland specific, and any subsequent consequences; reduced benefits, higher tax, or increased debt).
Ros Altmann doesn't appear to think it's much of an issue. She may be a Tory but as pension experts go there aren't many more knowledgeable in the UK than her.
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It's weird that resident Unionists now seem to be arguing that the Scottish NI contributions aren't large enough to sustain a bunch of defined benefits when they themselves started off arguing that NI doesn't specifically pay for any benefit and is just another part of general taxation. :confused:
Anyway, money is a bit like hibs.net accounts made up of <biblical first name><bunch of numbers>, you can always magic up some more provided you don't overdo it. :wink:
https://www.holyrood.com/inside-poli...ts-complicated
Just yesterday!
https://fraserofallander.org/who-pay...dent-scotland/
And the fraser of allender article
Further to the conversation on pension. I and others mentioned that NI contributions are more than enough to cover pensions, however it turns out that they are not ring-fenced, so other income could also be used to increase scottish pensions, while the NI contributions can also be used for other purposes.
Glad that has been cleared up.