Campaigners claim women born in the 1950s have been treated unfairly by rapid changes to their pension age, due to reach 66 later this year.

Senior judges unanimously dismissed the women's appeal. They say introducing the same state pension age for men and women did not amount to unlawful discrimination.

The government welcomed the ruling, saying the changes were a "long-overdue move towards gender equality".

Julie Delve, 62, and Karen Glynn, 63, backed by campaign group BackTo60, were challenging the pension age changes after losing a High Court fight against the Department for Work and Pensions last year.

The fight over women's state pensions
The campaign groups associated with the court case represent almost four million women who were affected by the government decision to increase the state pension age from 60 to 66. Many on lower incomes say they are facing financial hardship as a result.

Campaigners, however, say their fight is not over.
Joanne Welch, founder and director of BackTo60, told the BBC she would now consider taking the case to the Supreme Court and would also draft legislation to bring a women's Bill of Rights.
Unison, the UK's largest trade union, said raising the state pension age with "next to no notice" has had a calamitous effect on the retirement plans of a generation of women
It called on MPs to intervene to help those women who were now struggling to make ends meet.