Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg was questioned over whether he would apply pressure on his cabinet colleagues to carry out a parliamentary investigation by the SNP’s Gavin Newlands. The state pension age for women rose to 66 to bring it in line with men this year and will rise to 67 by 2028. Speaking to MPs, Mr Newlands asked: “While there’s not much hope for this Government to do the right thing there remains hope that the parliamentary ombudsman investigation will bear fruit.

“My constituent is one of the test cases but they have been delayed again and again by DWP.

“Will the leader please speak to his DWP cabinet colleagues to grease his skids and allow the ombudsman to do their work?”

Mr Rees-Mogg said: “Regarding the WASPI woman, there was a lot of sympathy for them in this house.

“The court found it was done properly and it is fair to have unified the retirement age between men and women.”

READ MORE: State pension to increase by 2.5% – but some will not benefit

His comments come as state pension will be increased by 2.5 percent next year, rising to £179.60 per week for those on the full new rate.

Pension experts said the announcement about the changes in the 2021/22 tax year sends out a “difficult message” at a time when many of the working population are facing pay freezes.

Highlighting concerns about fairness between the generations, they pointed out that pensions were funded by the national insurance contributions of current workers.

The current full new state pension is £175.20.

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The written statement on Wednesday said the Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Act 2020 enables Ms Coffey to increase state pensions “even though there has been no growth in earnings”.

Ian Browne, pensions expert at Quilter said: “As expected, the Government has confirmed that state pension incomes will rise next year by 2.5 percent, maintaining the minimum increase promised under the triple lock.

“This will be welcome news for retirees and it means the Chancellor and Work and Pensions Secretary can, for now at least, avoid accusations of breaking manifesto pledges to the elderly.

“But it will be hard to ignore the fact that giving retirees an inflation-busting income rise, while simultaneously announcing a pay freeze on many public sector workers, is a difficult message.”