Minister for Social and Family Affairs Seamus Brennan has been urged to take immediate action to end delays for thousands of older people waiting up to six months for their pensions to be processed.
Age Action asked Mr Brennan and his officials to take "whatever steps are necessary to end the continuing delays" in processing applications for pensions.
It was reported at the weekend that members of the Civil and Public Service Union (CPSU) are considering strike action over problems with a computer system used to process pensions.
Age Action called on the union not to take any industrial action that it said would further worsen the problems faced by pensioners seeking their legal entitlements from the department.
According to information supplied to Age Action by the department, some 7,128 people had applied for their pensions as of May 11th and were waiting to have their applications processed.
"Of these 2,799 had reached pension age and were facing five-week delays in receiving their first payments."
Age Action said it was estimated by the CPSU in Sligo that there are 14,500 applications awaiting processing, involving six-month delays.
"The union confirmed its members were meeting this afternoon in Sligo to consider taking industrial action from next Monday to highlight the situation," the lobby group said.
"Age Action is concerned that pensioners have had to endure delays of up to 14 weeks since last July when a new computer system was introduced. At the time Minister Brennan gave a public assurance that the necessary resources would be provided to end the backlog. But 10 months later the problems persist."
The lobby group said the continuing delays are causing "untold hardship" for older people who have paid their contributions during their working lives in the expectation of receiving their pensions promptly.
"Our older people deserve better treatment from the State and should not be placed in such desperate circumstances due to the inability of the State to organise prompt payment of their entitlements," Age Action spokesman Eamon Timmins said.
The Department of Social and Family Affairs said it could not immediately comment on the Age Action claims, but it is expected to issue a statement later today.