The Government intends to improve pensions for women in its latest White Paper on the subject, according to Work and Pensions Secretary John Hutton.

He said that “a new deal for women” would mean that women would be given enhanced pension credits, which could mean they work fewer years to be eligible for the full State pension. He added that the proposals meant that an extra 270,000 women would be entitled to a full State pension by 2020.

“This is another example of the Government getting its knickers in a twist over pensions and I’m not at all convinced,” said financial expert Martin Cunningham.

“If I had a pound for every official ‘initiative’ put forward on pensions I’d be a very wealthy man by now.”