Money digest: today’s-need-to-know financial news

Ahead of tomorrow’s Budget, the financial pages are full of last ditch attempts by MPs, think tanks, businesses and pressure groups to persuade the Chancellor round to their way of thinking. On pensions, the Work and Pensions Select Committee has urged the government to consider giving some women early access to their state pension in return for accepting lower weekly payments. George Osborne has been under pressure to help an estimated 500,000 women born in the 1950s who have seen the age they can claim their pension rise by six years, from 60 to 66 by 2020. Looking at housing, financial firm Paragon has called on the Chancellor to resist making any more changes to the taxation of landlords and instead instigate a root and branch review of the UK’s housing requirements. The company says that thanks to a combination of limited housebuilding, reduced investment in social housing and a round of tax increases planned for landlords operating in the private rented sector, there is little prospect that quality, affordable housing will be available for all.