All political parties should back the scrapping of forced retirement legislation, Age Concern and Help the Aged has said.
The charity has issued a challenge to all parties in its pre-election manifesto after revealing that a quarter of million workers in their 60s could be forced to retire when they reach 65.
Its research also revealed that the use of the mandatory retirement age increased during the recession, with 100,000 losing their positions upon hitting their mid-60s.
Charity director at Age Concern and Help the Aged Michelle Mitchell said that the use of forced retirement has "spiralled out of control".
"The Default Retirement Age has stamped an expiry date on hundreds of thousands of older workers," she added.
"It’s the most disturbing example of age discrimination which still tarnishes later life for so many people."
People who have been forced to retire may wish to consider equity release as one way of securing their future.
The system, through which homeowners receive cash according to the value of their homes, has become popular in recent years. 
