It was very interesting to read your Open Minds #8 article – The UK still has the worst state pension in the developed world. I’ve always known that our state pension was bad, but I thought it was only the lowest in Europe. I suspected there might be a few countries elsewhere that were below ours. It seems I was wrong.

There is, of course, a further complication. A large percentage of the money paid out by the Department for Work and Pensions is made up of social security payments because they recognise that the pension is not enough to live on. Therefore, they make it up with a social security payment, (pension credits). So, the situation arises whereby, if the pension is increased the social security payment will likely be reduced by a corresponding amount so that the recipient is no better off.

Then there’s the matter of council tax rebates and rent rebates. If the pension part of the payments I receive was the only part to double, as indicated on the billboard poster that you highlighted, then it’s likely I would not qualify for rent and rate rebates and I would actually be £4.90 per week worse off than I am at the moment.

This is all part of the Tory austerity strategy whereby everyone is kept at the lowest level of payment possible – that way folk are more worried about heating their house or where their next meal is coming from rather than scrutinising what the Tories are actually doing. How many people have already forgotten that the last pay increase awarded to members of the Westminster Parliament was 11%, which is far greater than the 1% they are giving to our NHS workers who have slaved tirelessly throughout this current pandemic. To be even just a little better off than I am now, my pension would need to go up by 110%. That would make me about £7.50 per week better off, with all my rent and rates paid from that amount and no “social security” money involved.

What is needed for an independent Scotland is a complete revision of the taxation system and the pensions and benefits system. The Land Value Tax that has been advocated could well swing the burden of payments from those least able to afford it onto those most able to afford it. At the same time, re-assessments, carried out by medical practitioners, should be made of everyone claiming disability, so that those who really need it might get a little more while those abusing the system would be found out and deprived of payments to which they may not be entitled. But I would stress that any such assessment should be done by doctors or hospital specialists and not by some private company that is paid according to the savings it can achieve.

READ MORE: Open Minds #8: The UK pays the worst state pension in the developed world

Over the past few months, we have been regaled by BBC and other TV channels about the glorious victory in the last war over Germany. Well, let’s put that into perspective. Germany pays their pensioners the equivalent of £26,000 per year. France one of the other “victorious” allies pays their pensioners the equivalent of £16,000.

The UK State Pension is said to be the equivalent of £7488 per annum. The “pension part” of what I receive works out at more than £1000 less than that! It seems there’s no profit in winning wars. Or maybe it’s just having Tories in charge that causes the problems.

Charlie Kerr

Glenrothes