INDEPENDENCE would be a serious risk to the security of Scotland's 1.5m pensioners, Gordon Brown will claim tomorrow as the former Prime Minister targets the grey vote in the referendum campaign.

In a speech in his Kirkcaldy constituency, Mr Brown will argue that Scotland's elderly are better off with the United Kingdom because of its ability to pool resources and share risk.

"Pensioners and prospective pensioners will ask whether, having contributed all their lives to their pensions paid from the UK Treasury, it makes any sense to have separate Scottish pensions, particularly when the average spending on all pensioner benefits per head of the Scottish population is £1380 per year against only £1318 in England," the ex-PM will say.

Scotland has more elderly per head of the population than Britain as a whole with 23% of Scots over 60.

"As Scotland's pensioner population rises," Mr Brown will explain, "Scotland will require three per cent more spending than the rest of Britain per capita on welfare by 2021." He will argue: "By pooling and sharing resources across the UK we are able to ensure a better deal in both state pensions and private pensions."

He will add: "Anyone looking objectively at the prospects for pensioners would have to conclude that having the strength of the UK around us is the safer and surer way forward."