It is sad to see Westminster treat pensioners so badly as the UK State pension is now the lowest in the developed world.
The UK Government announced last month that the state pension would be £142.70 per week. Compared to the Scottish Government's pledge in the white paper, a No vote has delivered a substantial loss of £936 per year for every pensioner.
Coupled with the fact that the pension age is set to rise to 67, it is really distressing that Westminster, rather than benefit the elderly in our society, chooses to spend money on outdated weapons of mass destruction, an out-of-date undemocratic House of (unelected) Lords and Middle East airstrikes with unclear objectives.
Pensioners are obviously not a priority for the Westminster government and with the unique demgraphics in the Western Isles that shows a greater elderly population than most local authorities, it is clear that our islands will suffer more than most.
Loch a Tuath SNP Councillor John A Maciver states: Scotland is one of the few oil-producing countries in the world and with other resources makes it a very rich country. Yet, Westminster, who have control of our Welfare State choose to pay our senior citizens very low pensions.
"Westminster is failing our pensioners and only by devolving the powers over the Welfare State to Scotland are we able to improve the pensions for our senior citizens."
A journal written by the SNP opposition group on the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council).
