George Jackson,
in Derry
The husband of Ms Attracta Harron, who has been missing from her home in Strabane, Co Tyrone, for just over three weeks, said yesterday that a decision by the Northern Ireland Local Government Officers' Superannuation Committee to stop his wife's pension had caused deep distress to his family.
Ms Harron was last seen walking home along the Strabane-Lifford road after she had attended Mass in the Co Donegal town on the morning of December 11th.
Despite extensive searches of rivers and fields by the police on both sides of the Tyrone-Donegal border, no trace of her has been found.
Mr Michael Harron said the letter, addressed to his wife, was delivered to their home on December 23rd, almost two weeks after Ms Harron (65), a retired librarian, had been officially declared as missing.
"When this letter was opened by one of our daughters, she became deeply upset and distressed. It said my wife's December pension was being recalled and that future pension payments had been stopped," Mr Harron said.
"It is a letter from the Northern Ireland Local Government Officers' Superannuation Committee and they addressed it to my wife. It states: 'I have decided to recall your December pension payment and your pension will not be paid on December 23rd as previously notified'.
"This letter is dated December 19th, eight days after my wife disappeared and it also states that all subsequent payments are to be stopped. We are not interested in the money, it's the letter which has causes a great distress to the entire family," he said.
"...I have decided to take the matter up in the strongest possible terms with the ombudsman," he added.
A spokesperson for the Department for Social Development confirmed that the letter been sent to Ms Harron.
"When the Social Security Agency is notified of a change of circumstances it is normal practice to suspend payments until the details are established," a spokesperson said.
From today, more than 4,000 libraries throughout the UK will make available to members of the public a website containing details of Ms Harron, according to her husband.
Meanwhile, a relative of the missing retired librarian has set up a website containing details of Ms Harron.
The website address is www.martinharran.com