Raiding the Nest

Published on 02/10/2012 00:00

Jeff Salway (Smart Money, 
29 September) is correct in agreeing with the pensions industry and the government that the national pensions scheme must work to get employees 
saving for their retirement.

However, governments have used responsible employees’ private pensions against them. Means-testing has meant that many of those conscientious employees who have struggled to save for a modest pension have been penalised.

Breaking Lord Rooker’s 
Finance Act of 1977 has made previous governments’ pension promises worthless. Saving for a pension has made many responsible employees poorer all their lives: first by paying pension premiums, and then losing out on means-tested benefits.

Unless the government gives the new state pension to all pensioners and rescinds the “granny tax”, then the National Employment Savings Trust pensions may create an outrageous and unsustainable future tax burden on 
responsible and ethical people.

Finlay McNaughtan

Kirkdene Place

Glasgow