The number of higher rate taxpayers has soared by nearly 2m to 6.14m since the last election and could soar by a further 3m by 2025, according to a former Pensions Minister.

Former Pensions Minister Sir Steve Webb, now a partner at pensions consultancy LCP, has urged the Department for Work and Pensions to ‘come clean’ over the scale and nature of a new round of state pension errors.

Pensions expert Steve Webb has warned that an extra 2.5m taxpayers could face being dragged into the higher rate tax over the course of the current Parliament.

A report by pensions consultancy LCP has uncovered that thousands of families of Financial Planner clients could be due a 'secret' state pension they may not be claiming.