THE government today poured scorn on former Labour Cabinet minister and Blackburn MPs Barbara Castle's latest bitter attack on its pensions policy.

Yesterday she claimed it was bent on scrapping the state pension, breaking its election promise.

But a spokesman for Social Security Secretary Harriet Harman denied this and said the government was committed to keeping the payment.

He said it would be uprated in line with prices next month and hinted there was more good news for pensioners in the pipeline.

It has been suggested that the March 17 Budget will start the process of guaranteeing all retired people a minimum income of £100 a week. None of this impresses Lady Castle who accused Prime Minister Tony Blair of endorsing the Tory policy of letting it "wither on the vine".

And the battling 87-year-old Baroness and former Social Security Secretary said the government - in particular welfare Minister Frank Field whom she said was an "implacable opponent" of the state pension - wanted to push people into private superannuation schemes or means-tested benefits.

Accusing the government of breaking its manifesto pledge to make the state pension to cornerstone of provision for retirement she demanded her link with earnings broken by Margaret Thatcher be restored.

She said the refusal of the government to give costs for its proposals was a deliberate attempt by Mr Blair to stifle proper discussion.

As she launched the evidence presented to the government's pensions review of her "Security in Retirement for Everyone" group, Baroness Castle voiced concern over the future of the State Earnings Related Pension (SERPS) which she introduced.

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