Council pension schemes in Scotland:

The 4 billion black hole

As an aid to Scottish media organisations, TaxpayerScotland has simplified the UK
pensions deficit table produced today by The TaxPayers Alliance.
The key findings of this research are:

Authorities across Scotland have a combined pension deficit of 4.16 billion in

2010-11.

The local authority in Scotland with the largest deficit in 2010-11 was Glasgow City
Council with 625 million. This is 1,054 per head of Glasgows population.

But the highest deficit per head of the local population in Scotland is Dundee City
Council at 1,565 each.
The full report for the whole of the UK can be found at:
http://taxpayersalliance.com/pensiondeficits2012.pdf
This short-form report will be added to our website at:
http://taxpayerscotland.com/docs/pensiondeficits2012.pdf

The Local Government Pension Scheme is funded. This means that individual pension
funds have assets which they invest, as well as liabilities (what they owe in pension
payments). Ideally, a pension fund would have assets that are as close to 100 per cent of
liabilities as possible.

Across all Scottish councils in 2010-11, the average ratio of assets to liabilities was 82
per cent. This is 12% higher than the UK average however, some councils have
notable per capital liabilities.
For comment, please contact:
Eben Wilson
Director, TaxpayerScotland
eben.wilson@taxpayerscotland.com
07933 827522

Aberdeen City
Aberdeenshire
Angus
Argyll and Bute
Clackmannanshire
Dumfries and Galloway
Dundee City
East Ayrshire
East Dunbartonshire
East Lothian
East Renfrewshire
Edinburgh, City of
Eilean Siar
Falkirk
Fife
Glasgow City
Highland
Inverclyde
Midlothian
Moray
North Ayrshire
North Lanarkshire
Perth and Kinross
Orkney Islands

Council

846,722,000
743,575,000
339,524,000
382,726,000
155,490,000
482,045,000
704,381,000
479,035,000
353,504,000
303,231,000
281,379,000
1,507,428,000
148,726,000
439,018,000
1,249,733,000
2,311,000,000
698,357,000
334,654,000
258,602,000
303,325,000
501,314,000
1,110,223,000
420,154,000
144,383,000

Assets ()

1,074,977,000
926,343,000
442,149,000
408,953,000
217,107,000
618,083,000
930,161,000
555,986,000
396,165,000
383,154,000
336,558,000
1,843,330,000
178,263,000
610,887,000
1,631,773,000
2,936,000,000
850,973,000
384,541,000
322,404,000
392,466,000
545,377,000
1,275,666,000
550,227,000
160,052,000

Liabilities ()

-228,255,000
-182,768,000
-102,625,000
-26,227,000
-61,617,000
-136,038,000
-225,780,000
-76,951,000
-42,661,000
-79,923,000
-55,179,000
-335,902,000
-29,537,000
-171,869,000
-382,040,000
-625,000,000
-152,616,000
-49,887,000
-63,802,000
-89,141,000
-44,063,000
-165,443,000
-130,073,000
-15,669,000

Deficit ()

Details of all Scottish council pension assets, liabilities and deficits in 2010-11
Assets as a
percentage
of liabilities
79%
80%
77%
94%
72%
78%
76%
86%
89%
79%
84%
82%
83%
72%
77%
79%
82%
87%
80%
77%
92%
87%
76%
90%
217,120
245,780
110,570
89,200
50,630
148,190
144,290
120,240
104,580
97,500
89,540
486,120
26,190
153,280
365,020
592,820
221,630
79,770
81,140
87,720
135,180
326,360
147,780
20,110

Population

Deficit share per

head of
population ()
1,051
744
928
294
1,217
918
1,565
640
408
820
616
691
1,128
1,121
1,047
1,054
689
625
786
1,016
326
507
880
779

Renfrewshire
Scottish Borders
Shetland Islands
South Ayrshire
South Lanarkshire
Stirling
West Dunbartonshire
West Lothian
Totals:

Council

735,798,000
339,303,000
1,994,000
442,802,000
1,112,140,000
275,863,000
437,453,000
436,031,000
18,279,913,000

Assets ()

820,048,000
421,281,000
2,493,000
486,080,000
1,348,280,000
401,175,000
473,997,000
522,106,000
22,447,055,000

Liabilities ()

-84,250,000
-81,978,000
-499,000
-43,278,000
-236,140,000
-125,312,000
-36,544,000
-86,075,000
-4,167,142,000

Deficit ()
Assets as a
percentage
of liabilities
90%
81%
80%
91%
82%
69%
92%
84%
170,250
112,870
22,400
111,440
311,880
89,850
90,570
172,080

Population
Deficit share per
head of
population ()
495
726
22
388
757
1,395
403
500