Pensioners receive secret details

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Thousands of pensioners have been affected by a government mix-up that resulted in personal banking details being sent to wrong addresses.

The Department of Work and Pension has confirmed as many as 26,000 such letters were sent out and added a full investigation is taking place.

One pensioner said the mix-up was "appalling" and "absolutely terrible".

Conservative MP Patrick McLouglin said the mistake was unacceptable and called on the department to "put it right".

The department issued a statement saying it takes issues of customer security very seriously.

'Absolutely terrible'

It said: "We stopped sending out these letters as soon as we discovered the error and no more will be sent out until the problem has been rectified."

The department said it will be able to trace all the letters involved - and pinpoint where each one went.

A spokesperson said they would be contacting everyone concerned so members of the public had no need to take any action.

"We send out 11.7m of these notices each year and the vast majority are processed without any problems."

One caller to BBC Radio Derby said: "One piece of paper belongs to a lady in Durham - it has her bank details and account number - and more information on her pension.

"In this world of fraud perhaps not everyone would be as honest as we are."

It could have gone anywhere - how can it happen that all my details are there? Margaret Rothwell

Margaret Rothwell from Barnsley, whose details were sent to Bakewell in Derbyshire, said: "The sheer inefficiency is appalling. I am stunned and appalled - it is absolutely terrible.

"It could have gone anywhere - how can it happen that all my details are there?"

One letter containing a Leicester City councillor's national insurance number and bank account details were sent to a Derby pensioner.

Mr McLouglin said: "When an incident like this happens they (DWP) ought to say what has happened.

"We are being told by the government that we are going to have national database for medical record and national identity card system.

"How can we have any faith in further extension of all this technology?"

The department said any customers who received another person's details could call the Pension Service on 0845 60 60 265.