The Government has been accused of "shocking hypocrisy" over ageism after claims that thousands of civil servants could be forced to leave work before they want to.
Age Concern said it had uncovered information which showed that a number of Government departments had retained a mandatory retirement age even though firms were being urged to let staff choose when they stopped work.
The Privy Council office, Home Office, Cabinet Office, Treasury and departments of Health, Trade and Industry (DTI), Constitutional Affairs, Transport, International Development and Culture, Media and Sport all had a compulsory retirement age of 65, it was claimed.
Some departments have said they will consider requests to work beyond 65, but this is a legal requirement, said the campaign group, which argued that the policy went against statements from government ministers following recent legislation aimed at outlawing ageism in the workplace.
Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern, said: "Ageism is wrong, and the government acknowledges it is wrong. Yet the government's own departments are forcing people over 65 to stop working.
"Not only is it unfair, it shows a shocking level of hypocrisy within the government in terms of its attitude to ageism. This prejudice means that people who want or need to work for whatever reason are denied that right."
A spokeswoman for the DTI said: "We use the age of 65 for business planning purposes but anyone who wants to work over the age of 65 has the right to request to work longer.
"It is not long since the regulations were introduced and so we have only had one request so far, which has been agreed.
"In 2008 the DTI as an employer will review whether it still needs this workforce planning assumption ahead of the government review of the policy on the default retirement age three years later."
