The widow of a Bermuda police officer who served for 25 years has been promised the $12,000 she failed to receive from her husband’s pension after 18 months of pressing the Government for the money.

But, she said, she was only contacted by the Department of Social Insurance after queries on her behalf this week by The Royal Gazette.

The department responded yesterday, apologising “unreservedly” and vowing to correct the matter permanently.

Roxanne Duncan, 67, who lives in Arizona, contacted the Gazette after repeatedly hitting a brick wall with the department and its British associate bank.

“It’s been quite difficult with this hole in my modest income,” she said. “I clean houses to make up for the lack of income.”

Ms Duncan added that it “certainly shouldn’t get to the point where the media should have to monitor the right thing to do”.

She highlighted an identical hitch reported by the Gazette two years ago in which a string of frustrated pension recipients overseas reported arrears — with the top complainant again getting her overdue money when the issue was publicised.

Ms Duncan said she had been left in the dark by the department and its agent for overseas payments, Crown Agents Bank in England, since her pension payment ceased abruptly after June 2021.

The Peoria, Arizona resident relied on the pension payments for her late husband, Alexander “Sandy” Duncan, who served as a police officer in Bermuda from 1971 to 1996.

Ms Duncan met her husband while stationed in Bermuda with the US Navy.

The couple married in 1991, moving to Arizona five years later.

She became eligible for monthly payments of just under $630 after her husband’s death in 2014.

But after they stopped in 2021, said she had “not had any meaningful contact” from the department or Crown.

“Each of them has referred me to one of these other agencies,” Ms Duncan said. “None of them have provided any meaningful help, or resolved the issue.”

Ms Duncan’s hardship has deepened with the death at age 29 of the couple’s only son, whose memorial service is being held today.

Previously funds were deposited electronically in her account via the US automated clearing house, or ACH, network.

She had filed a one-time Declaration of Entitlement upon her husband’s death, as well as an annual “proof of life” with Crown — evidence that includes a current photograph of the recipient.

Ms Duncan said Crown had switched proof of life’s online format roughly two years ago, seemingly without informing pensioners.

“Once I found out about this new online requirement, I immediately went online and did it, but they kept saying it didn’t work, even though I had confirmation on my end.

“I guess they still had some bugs in their system.

“Eventually they did acknowledge receipt of proof of life, but then required a Continuation of Benefits form.”

She said that request came from the Department of Social Insurance, adding: “I sent that in, and they acknowledged receipt, but since then I have not been able to get an explanation of why the payment has not resumed.”

Ms Duncan called the department repeatedly and “talked to whoever answered the phone, but they usually just shuffle me to someone else”.

Crown told her in October that it had forwarded her case to Bermuda and would respond when it heard back — but there was no further communication.

The department said yesterday: “Concerning Mrs Duncan, it appears that Department of Social Insurance inadvertently caused the delay in the payment.

“She returned the proof of life form July 26, 2022 and the DOSI did not action this with Crown Agents Bank.

“DOSI has reached out to Mrs Duncan to work with her directly to expedite payment. The department apologises unreservedly for the error and is taking steps to ensure it does not happen again.”

The department added that it liaised with Crown to “mitigate any problems clients may have receiving their benefit payments”.

“We are unaware of any issues clients may have dealing with Crown Agents Bank directly. However, people may experience difficulties receiving their benefit payments if they do not complete the proof of life exercise.”

DOSI acknowledged that Crown had switched proof of life to electronic submission, to ease the process without recipients having to get paper documents notarised and mailed in.

The department added: “While we try our best to answer all client queries within an adequate time, e-mails have been overlooked due to the rotation of staff who answer e-mails via our general e-mail inbox.

“We have improved our process to correct this problem permanently.”