The move will lead to the age at which firefighters can claim their pension rise from 55 to 60, causing fears that some will fail minimum fitness level tests and be forced into early retirement, missing out on a large part of their pensions.
Despite these concerns the motion was passed in the Commons by 313 to 261. Labour opposed the move but failed to garner enough support to defeat the government's bill.
In the debate preceding the vote, under secretary of state for communities and local government Penny Morduant sought to assure MPs that firefighters between the ages of 55 and 60 who can no longer carry out frontline duties will be found alternative work.
But shadow communities minister Hilary Benn criticised the "unfit" regulations for being based on flawed assumptions.
"Ministers have claimed there is a guarantee firefighters who can't maintain their fitness and who can't be redeployed will receive an unreduced pension, when documents show there is no such guarantee," he said.
FBU general-secretary Matt Wrack warned that the firefighters "are not going away" in their campaign to protect their pensions.
"If the Westminster government think firefighters will just roll over and accept this pension robbery, they can think again," he said.
