The person named applied for an early retirement pension on 29 April 1999. Due to the volume of work a backlog has arisen in the processing of applications. It is expected that this application will be examined in the next two to three weeks.
I would point out, however, that in no case does the processing time result in a financial loss for a retiring farmer. The operational procedures for the scheme specifically ensure that the date of receipt in the Department of a valid application determines the date from which payment is to be made.