State pensioners could have payments from the Department for Work and Pensions "frozen" while it works out what to do with the age rule. The DWP could freeze state pension rates as a "pragmatic" solution to the ballooning bill, it has been warned.

Claire Trott, head of advice at St. James's Place, said: "Means-testing is often raised as a solution, but in practice it's unlikely to be pursued, given the cost and complexity of implementation outweighs the savings.

"There are other options such as freezing the state pension and increasing access to Pension Credit which might be a more pragmatic route - it's already in place and better targeted to those who need help most.

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"Raising the state pension a

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