Ministers will today be accused of "shocking hypocrisy" in keeping a mandatory retirement age of 65 for many government departments, despite urging employers to allow staff to retire whenever they choose.

The seeming disparity between government rhetoric and practice has been unearthed by Age Concern using a series of parliamentary questions. The charity will today name nine departments that still operate a mandatory retirement age, along with the senior civil service, despite anti-ageism rules that came in last year.