Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy will warn voters today that there is only two weeks left to save the UK state pension.
He is expected to claim the SNP’s plan to cut Scotland off from UK-wide taxes would mean the end of the current arrangements.
The politically neutral Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said proposals for full fiscal autonomy would leave an immediate additional annual gap of £7.6billion in Scotland’s finances, forecast to rise to £9.7billion by the end of this decade.
David Phillips, a senior research economist with the IFS, said “any radical reform” of benefits would inevitably create both winners and losers, which could leave many people on low incomes potentially worse off.
Mr Murphy, who is campaigning in Edinburgh, said the situation would result in a cut of £18 a week to the basic state pension in the first year alone.
But SNP deputy leader Stewart Hosie said the IFS analysis could allow the Scottish Government to design improved tax and benefit systems that may better suit the country’s needs.
He said the organisation’s latest observation article pointed out that devolution of welfare powers would provide benefits from savings made thanks to investment in areas like housing, education and health.
Scottish Labour want to keep the UK state pension with guaranteed increases every year and freeze heating bills to stop the energy companies unfairly hiking their prices up.
Mr Murphy said: “There are just two weeks to save the UK state pension in Scotland from the SNP’s dangerous plan for full fiscal autonomy.
“Nearly one million Scots who have worked hard all their lives deserve to enjoy their retirement in the knowledge that their state pension won’t be put at risk.
“The SNP manifesto might have changed the name of their plan but it amounts to the same thing – eye watering cuts that would see the end of the UK state pension in Scotland and put the NHS at risk.”
But Mr Hosie said: “Westminster’s unfair, indiscriminate welfare cuts are causing real damage to people in communities across Scotland.
“And with both Labour and the Tories signed up to a further £30billion of austerity cuts, the situation will only get worse unless we take a new approach.”