EDINBURGH: Scotland’s outgoing first minister Humza Yousaf will receive a pension of about £2,000 a year from the age of 65, a spokesman for the Scottish Parliament said in response to false online commentary saying he would receive £52,000 per year.
Yousaf tendered his resignation as first minister of the devolved Scottish Parliament and leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party on April 29, following a turbulent week in politics. He will continue his role until his successor is appointed and will retain his position as a Scottish minister.
Following his resignation, erroneous social media posts circulated, falsely asserting that Yousaf, aged 39 and having served as first minister since March 29, 2023, would receive a £52,000 pension—half of his final salary—for life. One widely circulated post, viewed at least 760,000 times, incorrectly claimed taxpayers would foot this pension bill.
The Scottish Parliament spokesperson refuted these claims, stating that the Scottish Parliamentary Pensions Act of 2009 eliminated the entitlement to a first minister’s pension equating to 50% of their annual salary upon leaving office. Instead, Yousaf’s pension will be calculated as either one-fortieth or one-fiftieth of his final salary of £104,584 for each year served, depending on his chosen funding option. This translates to approximately £2,000 annually from the age of 65, adhering to current regulations.
Additionally, Yousaf will be eligible for a one-time “resettlement grant” equal to 50% of his salary. The spokesperson clarified that former First Minister Alex Salmond was the last to receive a pension equivalent to 50% of his final salary, having held office from 2007 to 2014 and being covered under the pre-2009 Act regulations.
