The Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee will conclude its work in March 2026 ahead of the next Scottish Parliament election. While it will continue to meet, the Committee has agreed it will not consider petitions submitted after 10 October. This is to ensure all petitions currently in the system can be considered before the next Scottish Parliament election. It is also unlikely that the Committee would be able to schedule and meaningfully progress petitions submitted after 10 October before the election. Contact the Committee team at petitions.committee@parliament.scot for more information about the petitions process.
If you are seeking emergency action or an urgent policy change please contact one of your 8 MSPs or the Scottish Government directly
Closed petition PE2124: Keep private and work place pensions out of divorce
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to change the law to no longer consider private and workplace pensions to be a part of matrimonial property.
Background information
I believe the state pension is on its way to being abolished, and not everyone wants to sign a prenuptial agreement or force their future spouse to sign it.
With the state pension age rising, it is looking likely that a young person is not going to receive a state pension, or retiring in their 90's. Workplaces automatically enrol people into workplace pensions, which are only paid by employees. No contribution is made by the partner. Young people as they get older will be relying on workplace or private pensions to be able to retire or take early retirement. If they marry and have a marital breakdown their spouse is automatically entitled to 50% of this unless there is matrimonial property for offsetting. Matrimonial property is considered as both individuals contribute to that. Why is a pension considered to be matrimonial property when only one person contributes to this?
This petition was considered by the Scottish Parliament
22 signatures