But the agency’s communications with those affected has come under scrutiny by MSPs at the parliamentary finance and public administration committee – and the SPPA chief was urged to directly engage with a band of eight people who had attended the meeting in the gallery.
Mr Pathirana had earlier issued another apology about the delays in delivering remedies over the scheme.
The Pensions Ombudsman is already examining multiple complaints about how the Scottish Government pensions agency has turned the task of compensating retirees what into what one campaign leader called “a shambles” with some dying waiting for pension details.
The Herald previously revealed the extent of the crisis and how some pensioners have threatened legal action in correspondence with the First Minister , John Swinney if heads do not roll for what has happened.
An estimated 300,000 Scots police, teachers, NHS staff including nurses, firefighters and local government workers both pensioners and those close to retirement were thought to have been initially impacted by an age discrimination court ruling, with over two thirds of those overseen by the SPPA which is responsible for providing each worker with a potential pension remedy.
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Why has Scotland been struck by a £1.7bn public pensions bombshell?
In Scotland the SPPA had 18 months according to legislation to give pension remedy statements with a statutory deadline of March 31.
The crisis stems from a High Court judgment in 2018, which found the UK government’s 2015 public sector pension reforms had unlawfully discriminated against younger workers. The reforms aimed to cut costs by moving most staff onto less generous schemes, while letting older employees stay on better ones.
Years later, delays and confusion mean tens of thousands of Scottish pensioners are still waiting for statements – called the McCloud Remedy – detailing money they may be owed from the debacle, with frustration mounting on all side.
The concerns escalated at the finance committee, as Michelle Thomson, the SNP spokesman for business, innovation and skills told Mr Pathirana: “I’m going to ask you to do something. Can you turn around and look at the people sitting behind you today.
“Right now, it’s fair to concede that it’s unusual that we have this size of audience for what’s normally a fairly dry subject matter.
“Now these are people who have chosen to give up their time… to come in, sit in the session.
“I would ask you also to engage with them on the way out, because my experience they often write to us after these sessions is that they’re highly experienced, and you might not be able to see it, but when you’ve been making some comments, I’ve seen vigorous shaking of heads from behind you.
“Now, I’m not qualified to say whether that is true or not true, but what it suggests to me is there’s still quite a big, disconnect between what people are being told and what you’re saying today.
“And I’m making no aspersions on that, I’m just recognising it as a fact. So it would be great if you do that, because that immediacy of feedback or even arranging a meeting, I think would be very helpful.”
Mr Pathirana earlier in his apology accepted that “knowing what we know now” they “should have communicated better earlier” while saying that 70% of retired members were on the scheme that benefitted them most.
He said: We’ve always sought to give accurate information to our members and with the best possible intentions, shared estimated timelines based on our knowledge at the time. We recognise transparency must accompany delivery for members to have confidence in the agency, and we’ll continue to report openly on progress.”
He said original statutory timeframes were “overly ambitious and had underestimated the scale of the challenge”.
Michelle Thomson, the SNP spokesman for business, innovation and skills issued a challenge to the SPPA chief. (Image: Scottish Parliament)
Scotland faces a bill running to £1.7bn to repair the damage which is adding extra financial burdens to the NHS in Scotland, the 32 Scottish local authorities, Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service , who all rely on taxpayer cash to run.
All have now had to increase the amount they pay into their pension schemes for staff, known as employer contribution rates, to cover the extra costs caused by the court ruling.
Retired police superÂinÂtendÂent MarÂtin GallaÂgher, who heads a Job’s ForÂgotÂten group of over 500 members to co-ordinÂate issues for those who are fighting to get pension remedies, said: “All my experience with the SPPA executive team is they hear but do not listen. We have been telling them for a year what they are getting wrong but it takes time, angst from pensioners and the intervention of ministers for them to do what seems to us to be completely sensible and obvious.
“Ms Thompson’s observation is spot on. Thousands of public sector pensioners have been shaking their head at the SPPA for years. Time for change.”