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A Tory minister sparked fury today after suggesting women "robbed" of their pension could take up an apprenticeship.

Guy Opperman was heckled with shouts of "shame on you" and "disgraceful" from campaigners in a packed debate in the House of Commons’ Westminster Hall.

The pensions minister faced cross-party calls to offer help to 2.6million women born in the 1950s who say their pension age rose at short notice.

Labour said 37 Tory MPs, plus Mrs May's new DUP allies, back the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign - enough to potentially crush her fragile majority.

But Mr Opperman said the government had done a "massive amount" already, telling MPs: "The reality is over 200,000 people over 60 have entered further education since 2014/15.

"We have also extended apprenticeship opportunities as one of the best routes to skilled employment for people of all ages and gender.

"Such apprenticeships in England, for example, in 2014/15... 12% of the starting apprenticeships were for those aged 45."

There were shouts of protest and Labour MP Grahame Morris, who led the debate, said the women were "not looking for apprenticeships at 64.

"They’re looking for some recognition of their contribution - sometimes over 44, 45 years or more - many of them whom are now in ill health.

"So please discharge your responsibilities minister - otherwise the people may discharge this government."

Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Debbie Abrahams said: "Staggering response suggesting they go on apprenticeships! Ludicrous."

Hecklers later shouted "shame on you" and "disgraceful" at the end of Mr Opperman's speech when he said the women could "retrain".

He told MPs: "It is not the government’s proposal that they would repeal or ameliorate the 1995 or 2011 [Pensions] Act.

"But I do accept the government must do all we can to assist everyone affected into retraining and employment, and provide support if that is not possible.

"That commitment to provide support is clear, unequivocal and ongoing."

Women born after April 1953 are having their state pension age hiked to make it 66 by 2020, the same as for men.

(Image: Andrew Teebay/Liverpool Echo)

Activists say the change to 2.6million women came at too short notice, warning letters didn’t arrive and happy retirements were "robbed".

The Tories have repeatedly refused to offer further help, saying undoing the most recent change in 2011 would cost £30billion - though activists say a compromise would be cheaper.

After a 90-minute debate MPs agreed they had "not considered" the changes - a symbolic move designed to try and force a full House of Commons debate.

Tory backbenchers spoke out to say the women deserved help.

One, Keith Simpson, said his own wife was affected adding: "She feels incandescent with rage. She had no correspondence whatsoever."

Another Conservative, Tim Loughton, slammed the changes as an “injustice" and “unfair burden” made worse by "poor communications” from the government.

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He said it was "a breach of trust” to women who "worked hard and did the right thing and did their bit all their lives."

He added: "The problem is more widespread than we were ever led to believe. It threatens real hardship for some of our constituents now - not some stage in the future, absolutely now.

"This problem is not going to go away. I hope with a new minister and a new Secretary of State we can have a new start, a clean break, recognise this injustice and do something about it at long last."

A third Tory MP, Anne Main, said women feel “cast on the heap” by the "dispiriting" process.

"Their experience in the Jobcentre has been abysmal," she said. "People who have been in senior positions are being given advice on how to dress and present themselves at interviews."

She added: "Something must be done to redress the imbalance."

(Image: AFP)

A fourth Tory, Peter Aldous, urged ministers to "come forward with proposals that can be the start of a process of finding a solution that is fair, fully considered and affordable.”

DUP MP Sammy Wilson warned his party would use its "influence, however minimal or maximum", to push the government into change.

One MP, the SNP 's Mhairi Black, said a WASPI women had killed herself because "she could not face what was going to happen to her".

She said: "Citizens committing suicide over an issue that could be solved like that - an issue that the Government could do a U-turn on at any given moment."

Labour's Stephen Hepburn said: "Women have been robbed, stolen of the thoughts of a happy retirement by a Tory government who are more willing to give a £1billion bung to the DUP in order to save their necks in government than to look after people who've worked a lifetime just to be happy in retirement."

But Tory MP Julian Knight accused Labour of "grandstanding" and said: "The country’s heading for an enormous black hole. The figures are frightening. Absolutely frightening."