A RETIRED teacher has slammed a Government office over the new system for issuing pensions.

Mrs Rosetta Sherr (76), of Kirton Lodge, Prestwich, disagreed with the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) scheme of phasing out pension books but reluctantly opened a post office card account.

After a number of stumbling blocks, she was told her weekly pension would be credited to her account at Prestwich post office on Monday (Sept 13).

However, Mrs Sherr was reduced to tears when she discovered the account empty, just two days before Jewish New Year.

She said: "I needed to buy in before Wednesday and when the post office told me there was no money in the account I just broke down in tears. They were just as annoyed as I was. I rely on that money each week and have obligations to pay direct debits with it at the bank. As a result I have had to contact the bank and tell them the situation."

Mrs Sherr contacted the DWP immediately on Monday afternoon and was told they could either post out a giro cheque or she could collect a giro from their Bury office after 10.30am on Tuesday.

She said: "As it was 3.30pm I didn't trust I would get it the following morning in the post so I said I would collect it, but I shouldn't have to trail to Bury for my money. If I'd have waited for the money to be credited to my post office account, it would have been Wednesday or Thursday, but I didn't want to wait that long because of New Year.

"It can't just be happening to me. There must be hundreds of pensioners out there suffering the same problems. I didn't want to change in the first place and I have had nothing but trouble with it."

In the past couple of weeks, Mrs Sherr has been sent the wrong post office account card, then the wrong PIN number and ended up contacting MP Ivan Lewis for help.

"It has been very upsetting," she added, "I used to be a teacher and worked for social services for many years, but they don't seem to care that pensioners are left without any money. No pensioner can do without that money. It is all we have got."

Regional spokesman for DWP North West, John Lees said: "We do not normally comment on individual cases, however I can confirm that this isolated problem was due to human error, and would like to reiterate the apology which Mrs Sherr has already received, for any inconvenience caused.

"More than three million Post Office Card Accounts have been opened to date and are operating successfully."