A WESTMINSTER report recommending the increase of the state pension age has been labelled as "draconian" by a top civil service union in Belfast.
The report, which focuses on state pension age arrangements beyond 2028, will help inform the government's review of the state pension age due in May and also recommends scrapping the current triple-lock guarantee.
Pension experts said if the recommendations are taken up, people in their 40s face their state pension age being pushed back a year.
They warned those in their 30s and younger may eventually face the possibility of drawing their pension at 70.
The state pension age is already due to go up in stages, with a rise to 67 by 2028. The next increase to 68 is not due to happen until between 2044 and 2046.
But the review said the rise to 68 should happen seven years earlier than planned, providing greater "intergenerational fairness", and helping the fiscal sustainability of the state pension.
In 2013, the coalition government said that someone should spend up to a third of their adult life above state pension age on average.
The government actuary's department had been asked to consider two alternative scenarios for the state pension age, reflecting someone spending either 32 per cent or 33.3 per cent of their projected adult life in retirement.
Under a 32 per cent scenario, it found the state pension age could rise to 69 between 2040 and 2042.
With a 33.3 per cent scenario, the state pension age could rise to 69 between 2053 and 2055.
Previously, the British government had committed to maintaining the triple lock, which ensures the state pension increases in line with the higher of inflation, earnings, or 2.5 per cent, throughout the current parliament.
But the new report recommended that the triple lock is withdrawn in the next parliament.
Northern Ireland Public Services Alliance (NIPSA) deputy general secretary Bumper Graham said the increase was unwelcome.
"It will see people paying more national insurance over a longer period of time to get a pension that will be paid for shorter periods of time due to mortality and this has a greater adverse impact on Northern Ireland," he said.
"NIPSA put forward alternative proposals, including a flexible decade of retirement based on payment of 35 years national insurance, these proposals and responses of other consultees have been totally ignored."
Today, there are 305 pensioners for every 1,000 people of working age.
By the time people approach retirement nearing 2050, there will be 357 pensioners for every thousand people of working age.
Nearly £100 billion per year is currently spent by the government on the state pension and pensioner benefits.
NIPSA represents over 45,000 members from across the civil and public services and the voluntary sector.
