Pensioners could face delays in getting their pension when a new system of electronic benefit payment is introduced in April, a Liberal Democrat spokesman has warned.

Key benefits will be paid electronically into bank accounts rather than over the counter at post offices - it is hoped that the new system will cut down on fraud.

But the Liberal Democrats claim that the system has failed in trials, and that pensioners are not being informed long enough in advance of the change to electronic payment.

As a result, Liberal Democrats are calling for a delay in the introduction of the new system.