Scotland's First Minister John Swinney has been accused of trying to make "cheap political points to scare pensioners" with his comments on UK Government plans to change pensions.
Pensions Minister Torsten Bell claimed Mr Swinney was "lying" with his assertions that pensioners in Scotland could be left about £2,000 a year worse off because of the changes.
The Labour minister went on to accuse the SNP leader of "trying for cheap political points to scare pensioners".
Row Over Triple Lock Changes
The dispute followed the Prime Minister's announcement of plans to end the triple lock on pensions from 2030, with the money saved used to help fund social care south of the border.
Under the proposals, pensions will still rise by at least 2.5% or the rate of CPI inflation going forward.
Mr Swinney has insisted that pensioners in Scotland will "lose out as a consequence of the abolition of the triple lock", saying there could be a "real loss of around £2,000 per person per year".
Minister's Criticism
Mr Bell told journalists that the First Minister had "rightly been called out for lying about the impact on state pensioners in Scotland, telling them the pension will be cut".
The Labour minister stressed that "the pension will rise every single year under our plans, rising every single year even after we adjust the triple lock".
He continued: "Scottish pensioners, I think, have seen completely through that, which is why he has not received any traction."
Mr Bell described the situation as a "really bad example of a First Minister in a serious position of responsibility trying for cheap political points to scare pensioners".
The comments have already provoked an angry reaction from the opposition at Holyrood, with both Labour and the Scottish Tories accusing Mr Swinney of misleading Parliament.
The Scottish Government has been contacted for comment.
