A POST Office was forced to abandon national guidelines on paying benefits over the festive period after being inundated with irate customers.

Confusion arose yesterday over when a range of employment and sickness benefits, as well as pensions, should be paid over the festive period.

While local Post Offices were given instructions internally saying one thing, the public was told something different.

But today, the Post Office has apologised for the inconvenience.

Managers were given operational instructions in September for the festive period, including opening times and procedures for paying benefits over Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

They were told that payments due to be made on New Year's Day should be paid today, December 30. But the Post Office then sent out publicity messages saying that benefits were actually available from yesterday, December 29.

The blunder forced Blackburn branch manager, Diane Duncan, to take a "local decision" to appease "hundreds of annoyed customers."

At midday yesterday, she gave the green light for payments to be made despite the operational instructions issued to the branch back in September.

She said many people had been turned away disappointed in the morning. Graham Moore, spokesperson for the Post Office, said: "There appears to have been some confusion within the organisation about the correct dates for picking up payments during the festive period. We apologise to anyone who has been inconvenienced.

"Every year, the Post Office arranges alternative dates for the festive payments but somewhere along the line this year there has been a clash in information."

Branches in Burnley, Clitheroe and Accrington were not inundated with complaints and were expected to cash benefits as of today in accordance with the guidelines.

A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions, who are responsible for the payments, said: "We advise people to contact their local branch to confirm the situation but they are entitled to cash benefit cheques in advance because of the bank holidays.

"I believe the situation in Blackburn was resolved and we would fall in line with what the Post Office decided."

The Blackburn branch had enough cash to deal with the decision to bring payment day forward.

One pensioner from Daisyfield, who declined to be named, said: "We were told that there had been a mix up.

"I think it makes sense for the money to be given out at the beginning of the week."