The state pension operates UK-wide. In Scotland about 1.1m people are in receipt of it, a figure which is projected to rise to 1.4m by 2047.

However social care is devolved in Scotland, and a system of free personal care was introduced way back in 2002.

Swinney says this means Scottish pensioners would be affected by the changes to the triple lock, but would not benefit from the proposed care changes.

He said the move, external would “take up to £4bn from Scotland’s pensioners” by 2050, adding that “this would mean in real terms every pensioner in Scotland being almost £2,000 worse off in 2050”.

The UK government says it does not recognise these figures, which have been calculated by working out Scotland’s share of the pension-age population, compared with the projected saving from the changes.

On Thursday, Swinney was challenged about his social media post in the Holyrood chamber by Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra, who accused the first minister of “misrepresenting the position of the UK government on social care reform”.

And in a subsequent exchange with Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay, Swinney stated that “we are now going to lose our pensions”, saying this made the case for Scottish independence.

Findlay – who oddly enough agrees with Swinney about preserving the triple lock – wrote to him saying that “this inaccurate and irresponsible comment is inevitably causing concern to Scottish pensioners”, calling for him to correct the record.

But in interviews on Monday the first minister insisted: “I stand by everything I said to parliament”.

He then wrote to Findlay to explain how he believed there would be a “real terms” reduction in pensions “as compared to the existing triple lock policy”.

Swinney added: “I am satisfied that no correction to the parliamentary record is necessary.”