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Self-employed workers are likely to receive a pension that is only a third the size of an employees retirement income, new research has shown.

According to Hargreaves Lansdown, on average, someone who works for themselves will be over £13,000 worse off than a typical employee.

Findings from the company revealed that only 34 per cent of the 3.6 million people who work for themselves are putting money into a pension, compared with 56 per cent of employees.

Laith Khalaf, pensions analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, says: 'As well as showing that the self-employed need to address their pension provision, these figures demonstrate the value of an employer's pension scheme.'

'What is remarkable is that some employees still opt out of these arrangements, he adds.

Mr Khalaf concluded that the government's proposals to introduce personal accounts by 2012 will help the employed but not those who work for themselves.

In a recent SmallBusiness.co.uk poll, the vast majority of respondents had little or no confidence in pension plans and an overwhelming 52 per cent said that they wouldn’t trust their money to such a scheme.