Women are the "pensions underclass", according to new research from Prudential, which says 60% of women do not contribute to a pension and those who do, contribute 22% less than men.

More than half of women do not believe their retirement income will enable them to maintain their standard of living, says the report.

Women who do save are putting away an average £236 a month compared with £304 on average for men, which would equate to £42,577 over their lifetime.

Five times as many men as women are banking on private pensions of between £15,000 and £19,000 a year, the study said One in five women have no additional means of boosting their pension compared to just one in 10 men.

"The glaring gulf between pension provision and saving by men and women means millions of females will go into retirement either having to rely on a partner or facing a struggle to maintain basic standards of living," says the report.

Prudential says people should "think more widely" about how to fund their retirement by focusing on all sources of financial help available to them.

Gary Shaughnessy, managing director, Prudential Retail Life & Pensions, said: "Women are the underclass when it comes to pensions. Women clearly play a vital role in the workplace but this is not being reflected in the pensions they can expect.

He added: "With more people choosing to live alone and the number of divorces at high levels, it is undeniable that individuals cannot rely on partners for their retirement finances. However, this doesn't mean everyone should forget about saving and planning for their retirement."

However, the report says women are "much more switched on" when it comes to estimating their state pension. The average man expects he will get a state pension of £146 a week, against a real current figure of £87, and a typical female estimate of £89.