Millions excluded from occupational pensions

Millions of workers, particularly women, are on track for a poverty-stricken retirement, the charity Age Concern England is warning.

A massive 79% of full-time hotel and restaurant workers, 60% of construction workers and 54% of wholesale, retail and repair workers are not in an occupational pension scheme.

The figures come from a study carried out by the Labour Research Department and published by Age Concern revealing that 35% to 45% of full-time employees and half or more of part-time employees don't have an occupational pension.

And there is a "gender gap" in many sectors like manufacturing, where 44% of full-time female workers are not in a scheme compared with 38% of males.

Public pensions policy increasingly emphasises individual responsibility for pensions saving, but Age Concern insists that the government must "act quickly" to improve the failing state system and ensure that everyone can build up a decent and secure retirement income.