FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon is facing further pressure to raise income tax on the wealthy after her own poverty adviser backed higher rates for people earning more than £100,000.

Naomi Eisenstadt said she supported “redistribution” and also “welcomed” suggestions that the current eligibility for free bus passes could be raised from the age of 60.

Scottish Ministers have been criticised for proposing a budget without increasing income tax on the rich to ease the strain on public services.

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The current levels span a 20p basic rate of income tax, a 40p higher rate and 45p on earnings over £150,000.

Labour has called for a 50p top rate, as well as a 1p rise in the basic rate, the latter of which is also supported by the Liberal Democrats.

The Scottish Greens went into last year’s Holyrood election backing a 60p level for the wealthy, but the party cut a deal with the Government to freeze the rate at which people pay the 40p rate.

The change means that those earning over £40,000 will pay around £400 a year more than individuals on the same salary south of the border, but millionaires were spared any increase in the top rate. However, the deal still means that local government funding will be cut.

Eisenstadt, who was appointed as the SNP Government’s independent advisor on poverty and inequality in 2015, has previously backed higher taxes on the rich, but did not give details on income levels.

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Speaking to the Sunday Herald, she said: “I believe in redistribution. I think we should have higher taxes at the top."

She added: “If you look at the income distribution, we need a much more progressive system in the top 10-20 per cent.”

Asked if it would be reasonable for people earning over £100,000 to pay more, she said: “Yes.”

Eisenstadt also repeated her calls for the Government to rethink the balance between providing services universally free of charge and targeting support where it is needed.

Sturgeon is a staunch supporter of not charging for prescriptions, personal care and tuition fees, even though these policies are said to benefit middle and high earners.

“The Scottish Government should re-think how much is universal,” Eisenstadt said.

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In 2006, everyone aged 60 or over, regardless of income, became entitled to a free bus pass on local, registered or long-distance services.

Critics of the policy believe it is a symptom of inter-generational unfairness, where young people who have little or no assets pay a full fare, while their parents get a freebie.

However, Transport Scotland has confirmed that the agency will “engage” with stakeholders on the “longer term sustainability” of the national concessionary travel scheme.

Eisenstadt indicated that she supported a rethink on free bus travel: “There’s two ways to do it in terms of targeting. You could target it by individual poverty levels or target it by just raising the age. And raising the age is again an easier way to do it and much less bureaucratic.”

She added: “If you look at poverty levels, everybody gets poorer after housing costs except for pensioners. The numbers of people in poverty reduces for the pensioner group if you include housing costs. So I am delighted that the Scottish Government is thinking about this.”

It has now emerged that the Scottish Government plans to introduce a child poverty bill to Parliament imminently.

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Equalities Secretary Angela Constance said the Bill will set statutory targets to reduce child poverty and establish a framework for measuring, monitoring and reporting on it.

Labour MSP Jackie Baillie said: "In the week that the Greens and the SNP agreed a budget that freezes income taxes, and voted against Labour's plans for a 50p top rate of tax on the richest one per cent, the Scottish Government's poverty advisor is saying that she supports the richest paying their fair share. Nicola Sturgeon made a big song and dance about appointing Naomi Eisenstadt, but having commissioned expert advice she has almost universally ignored it.

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A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring Scotland is a country that businesses and people want to locate, live, and work in, both through preserving a competitive, progressive tax environment but also providing good quality public services. Our 2017/18 budget proposals protect households and public services, whilst asking the highest earners to forego a significant tax cut at a time of UK Government austerity. ”