Nearly two-thirds of people approaching retirement think more should be done to help those who want to continue working, according to a survey.

Six out of 10 over-50s questioned said there was not enough support for people who wanted to continue working, something a third said they wanted to do.

Around 67 per cent also thought the default retirement age was unnecessary, while 85 pr cent said they thought it was used as an excuse by employers to get rid of staff.

Instead, nine out of 10 said they thought retirement should be about people's ability and desire to work, not their age, according to Saga and the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts.

The most common reason people gave for wanting to work on past retirement age was to earn money at 61 Per cent, followed by keeping their mind active at 59 per cent and enjoyment at 50 per cent.

Just under half of those questioned thought it should be up to individuals to decide when they retired and not the state.

The research comes after the Government announced plans to phase out the default retirement age next year.

Emma Soames, editor at large of Saga Magazine, said: "Our research very clearly shows that a default retirement age is arbitrary for many people approaching retirement and many feel unsupported, particularly if they want to continue working.

"Moving from full-time work to retirement should be a process of winding down - more akin to strolling down to the beach rather than being pushed off the cliff edge."

Jonathan Kestenbaum, chief executive of Nesta, said: "Against a backdrop of an ageing society and strained public services older people can contribute immeasurably to the economy and society.

"Our survey shows that they want choice and flexibility in how they live their lives. We need a radical rethink of how we engage with older people."

Saga questioned 13,040 readers online during June.