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Town Hall red tape puts presents and holiday on hold

24/12/2002

SIXTY-FIVE year old John Whalley couldn't go away for Christmas or buy presents for friends and family because town hall red tape stopped him getting his pension on time.

John retired from his 14 year job as caretaker at Pendleton's Fitzwarren Court in November and was looking forward to starting his retirement by going on a Christmas holiday.

But he was surprised when he contacted Salford Council's personnel department and was told they had no record he was retiring.

Although he got a letter - confusingly dated before the complaint was made - apologising for this, John was even more upset when he called the pensions department and was told he had to produce a birth certificate proving his age before he got a penny.

The pensioner says he does not have a birth certificate and would have to pay to have a new one produced, but adds he does not feel he should have to prove his age.

He is flabbergasted the two departments are not in contact with each other, and did not know one of their workers was about to retire, and was also surprised the council needed more proof than the government, as he has had no trouble getting his state pension.

Meanwhile, John says the council's failure to cough up has left him out of pocket, as he was looking forward to a lump sum of over £5,000, followed by regular weekly payments.

The error would not have been sorted out in time for him to get the money before Christmas, and John says he cannot afford to buy presents for friends and family, or go on the Yuletide trip across the country he was looking forward to.

He also says he will find it difficult to pay rent on his flat while he relies on the state pension.

The former caretaker told us: "What annoys me is the bureaucracy and red tape of having to show them something to prove what they already know.

"I want to know why one council department accepts how old I am and another doesn't.

"And I want to know why the council have started these silly little rules when the government have accepted I'm 65 and started paying me without asking to see the birth certificate."

A council spokesman said: "This is a simple formality required of every pensioner on their retirement. He was asked for his birth certificate on December 5 and again on December 10 and as soon as we here from him we'll be able to release his pension entitlement."