Interest in the pre-1953 pension has been much greater than the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs had anticipated and delays are being experienced in processing applications.

The Department is getting up to 300 new applications per week for the special pre-1953 Old Age Contributory Pension and some applicants have expressed frustration at delays in the processing system.

The pension is a non-means-tested payment of £53 (€67) per week, which is payable to anyone who paid "stamps" in the 1950s or earlier for at least five years.

Mr T.R. recently sent an application for the pension to the Pensions Services Office in Sligo on behalf of his wife.

Some weeks later, not having received an acknowledgment, he rang the office to inquire when they could expect a decision.

He was told that there was a backlog of applications and the earliest her application would be dealt with was early summer 2002.

A Department spokeswoman said this information was inaccurate and that the Department aimed to have all of the applications cleared by the end of this year.

"We are monitoring the situation all the time to make sure people are processed as quickly as possible," the spokeswoman said.

The assessment for eligibility is a slow and labour intensive process, as each application has to be studied in depth.

Records relating to the pre-1953 period have to be consulted to establish an entitlement. Since the Minister introduced the pension last year, the Department has received 18,000 application from people not previously getting a social welfare pension.

Some 9,800 of these cases have been decided and of those 6,700 have been awarded the pension. The pension has also been awarded to a further 8,500 people already receiving a reduced social welfare pension.

The majority of new applications are from people living abroad.

In most cases these applications are from people who worked in the State for a few years before emigrating to Britain or the US.

Workers at the time received social insurance stamps, like postage stamps, which were collected on a card and sent to the Department of Social Welfare at the end of each year. The Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs has assured claimants that they will not lose out in payments if they qualify for the pre-1953 pension.

People who have applied since May 5th last, that subsequently qualify for the pension, will receive payments backdated 12 months from their application date.