Four out of five defined-benefit pension schemes are closed to new entrants, according to a survey from the Association of Consulting Actuaries.

The survey, which was conducted early in 2007 and covers more than 330 employers with pension fund assets of more than 127 billion pounds, showed 81 percent of schemes run by respondents to the survey are closed, up from 68 percent two years ago.

A number of companies have closed defined-benefit pension schemes, which base payments normally on a worker's final salary, or moved staff to cheaper schemes in recent years due to large pension deficits, which are treated like debt on balance sheets.

However after a four-year bull market, some recent surveys have shown a growing number of schemes are now in surplus.

"The big downside of the scheme closures that have taken place as private sector employers have derisked for the future is that we are facing the very real prospect of growing 'under pensioning' in respect of millions, particularly the young and middle-aged," said ACA Chairman Ian Farr in a note.

"We do not expect employers to reverse their closures ... So, unless pension contributions ... climb or more employers are covered by risk-sharing schemes, there is the very real danger that many more pensioners will need to rely on means-tested state benefits in the future than is currently predicted."

The survey also showed that over the last five years the average employer contribution into defined-benefit schemes has almost doubled to 22.6 percent of earnings from 11.5 percent.

Member contributions, meanwhile, have increased to 6.1 percent of earnings from 4.3 percent.

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