Party pledge to retain savings credit.
The end to a stealth raid on the state pension would be one of the SNP demands of supporting a Labour Government.
This paper last year revealed that some pensioners will see as little as 60p of the £2.85 weekly rise to the state pension which came into force this month.
This is because the hike is partly being paid for by cuts to the “savings credit” pension, a top-up scheme paid to those with a modest income who saved for retirement.
This scheme is being phased out but the SNP will tomorrow unveil a manifesto pledge to save the savings credit. If the party is in a position to influence the legislative programme of the next government, then this will be one of its key demands.
Around one million recipients of this weekly payment will have seen it cut by up to £1.98, leaving them with a net rise in their state pension income of just 87p.
A further 600,000 pensioners who are married or live as a couple fared even worse, with some getting an increase of just 60p depending on their circumstances.
SNP Pensions Spokeswoman Dr Eilidh Whiteford said: “Scotland’s pensioners have contributed massively to our society and they’re entitled to fair treatment in their retirement in return. The savings credit has always been a policy to ensure people saving for their pension are properly rewarded.
“Any attempt to scrap it would be deeply worrying to people across Scotland and SNP MPs will strongly resist its abolition.
“Westminster Governments of both parties have let down our older people for far too long, that’s why the SNP is proposing a new and better approach to protect Scotland’s pensioners.
“The SNP manifesto will make clear we will demand Westminster retain the Triple Lock on pensions, ensuring older people benefit from real increases on their pensions at a time when many of them are struggling to make ends meet.”
The savings credit changes mean the very poorest pensioners have the full £2.85 weekly hike but those with just a bit more income, who have worked hard all their lives but are potentially still struggling financially, will miss out.
Those who are better off and not in receipt of the top-ups have also received the full £2.85 increase in their total state pension income
Savings credit, introduced as a reward for those who put money away for retirement, is a maximum of £16.80 a week this year, but from next April that will be cut to £14.82.
The payment has been cut by 28% since 2010, while the basic state pension has increased by 19% over the same period.
Ministers last year ruled savings credit will not be paid to anyone who reaches state pension age from 2016 and have excluded the measure from the “triple lock” guarantee of increases in line with earnings, prices or at least 2.5%, which only applies to the basic state pension.
Labour’s Gregg McClymont, Shadow Pensions Minster poured scorn on the SNP’s pledge.
He said: “Pensioners here deserve honesty from the SNP about their plan to scrap the UK State Pension in Scotland.
“Unlike the SNP, we’ll never put the hard-earned state pension of Scots at risk. Labour has a plan that will protect pensioners in Scotland, by keeping the UK state pension, guaranteeing pension increases every year and freezing energy bills.”
The Department for Work and Pensions said it had made the changes in order to target its resources to protect the income of our poorest pensioners.
Meanwhile, it is expected the rest of the SNP manifesto will be tailored to a UK-wide audience, despite the party only standing candidates in Scotland.
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