People in their 50s who lose their jobs in the recession face problems with saving for their pensions, a charity has warned. Michelle Mitchell of Age Concern and Help the Aged urged employers not to concentrate on age when considering someone for a position and said the government needs to give the same unemployment help to older people as younger ones.

She warned that people who become unemployed in their 50s face the prospect of having their working lives cut short, which affects how much they can contribute to their pensions.