Strictly embargoed until: 00.01 hours, Thursday 20March 2003

Contact: Sophie Howells or Miriam Lea

Telephone: 020 8765 7511/12 Out of hours 07071 243243

PUBLIC WANTS GREATER CHOICE ABOUT WORK IN LATERLIFE

As Heads of Governmentgather today at a crucial EU inter-governmental conference on pensions, AgeConcern has published the findings of a new poll, revealing overwhelming publicsupport for more flexibility about work and the removal of fixed retirementages. Both are central proposals in the Governments recently publishedpensions green paper.

The Age Concern/ICM poll found that 76% of workersare opposed to being forced to retire at a fixed age and cited more flexibleworking arrangements as the biggest incentive to carry on working.

The findings come as AgeConcern launches its Business Pledge, an opportunity for employers to lead theway in demonstrating sound business sense by committing to age equality in theworkplace. This is a vital step if people are to have more chance to work inlater in life and better opportunity to build up good retirement incomes. Thecharity aims to sign up over a 1000 businesses before a new law on age equalityat work comes into effect in 2006.*

HRH The Prince of Wales, Patron, Age Concern willattend the launch event in the City of London today. Nationwide BuildingSociety CEO Philip Williamson will be making the case to invited businessleaders for committing to the Break theAge Barrier Business Pledge. (Media who would like to attend the event willneed to apply via the Royal rota. Please contact the Age Concern press officefor information).

The support of businessleaders for age equality will be essential to making this a reality. Currentlynearly a third of over 50s are not in a full-time job, yet this age group willreach a third of the population by 2020. If they suffer similar levels ofunemployment the economy will lose out too already the UK is 31billion ayear worse off because of older workers wasted skills and experience.**

As the European CouncilHeads of Government gather in Brussels, 77% of 45-54 and 74% of 55-64-year-oldspolled said greater choice over working hours was an encouragement tocontinuing work. Working until laterin life is also the core of the European strategy to tackle the global pensionschallenge to be discussed at tomorrows summit.

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Gordon Lishman Age ConcernEnglands Director General said:

Business leaders have a huge role to play inshaping the way we see age: we simply cannot respond to the challenge of ourageing society without them. We have set ourselves an ambitious target to workwith the business community to ensure that age equality is delivered,providing real benefits to business, older workers and the UK economy and areencouraged that Nationwide, a major High Street name, is the first to sign ourBusiness Pledge.

Nationwide Chief ExecutivePhilip Williamson said:

We are committed to making the most of our uniqueasset- our people. We have

first-hand experience of the genuine businessbenefits of employing a diverse workforce in terms of age, race and gender. Wewish to support Age Concerns work because we believe that valuing thecontribution of each individual is not only good for our employees, its goodfor our business too.

Michael Partridge 54, whoworks for Nationwide, will be introduced to The Prince of Wales at the launch.He said:

I am surprised and delighted to find thatNationwide is keen to invest in me and my future development. Since joining Nationwideat the age of 52 as an advisor in their call centre, I have been promoted tosenior advisor and am now on a fast track training programme that will give methe opportunity to become a team manager. Their flexible approach allows me tobalance my work and my life outside the office, whilst also giving Nationwidethe benefit of my previous experience.

ENDS

SH//buspledge

Notes to Editors:

Regionalbreakdowns of the survey are available on request. ICM Research interviewed arandom selection of 2010 adults aged 18+ by telephone between 7-11 February2003. Interviews were conducted across the country and the results have beenweighted to the profile of all adults.

Requests for interviewswith Age Concern, Nationwide or case studies should go through the Age Concernpress office.

*Following the UKGovernments adoption of the EU Directive on Equal Treatment in employment,employers will be required to introduce equality in employment legislation onage discrimination by December 2006. This will make it illegal to discriminateagainst people in the workplace on the grounds of age.

**Figure calculated by TheEmployers Forum on Age on how much is lost through low labour marketparticipation rates in the 50-64 age group.

Radio producers: Age Concern England offers ISDNfacility

Age Concern website: http://www.ageconcern.org.uk