What are the pension arrangements for MSPs?
MSPs automatically join the Scottish Parliamentary Pension Scheme (SPPS) when they are elected to office. The pension scheme was established by the Scotland Act 1998 (Transitory and Transitional Provisions) (Scottish Parliamentary Pension Scheme) Order 1999, and it and has been in place since the establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999. The Scottish Parliamentary Pensions Act 2009 brought changes to the scheme, which came into effect on 1 September 2009. The SPPS is a defined benefits scheme, which means that it is formula based. The basis of the formula is reckonable service and pensionable pay, and it takes into account the particular scheme the MSP is in. There are currently two options: the 50th and the 40th scheme. If an MSP opted to remain in the 50th scheme, they will pay 6% of their salary towards the pension scheme. If they chose to transfer into the 40th scheme, they will pay 11% of their salary towards the scheme. There is no minimum time that an MSP has to serve be
