Civil servants plan work stoppages over pensions backlog

STAFF charged with clearing the six-month backlog in payments for new pension claimants are to start a series of work stoppages from next Tuesday over the way they are being treated by the Government.

The workers claim they are being made a scapegoat for the massive delay which means thousands of new pensioners are not having their claims processed.

The delays have mounted since a PPARS-style system was introduced by the Department of Social and Family Affairs last May.