Shadow Seniors and Social Services Minister Louise Jackson has criticised Government for a delay in delivering Financial Assistance cheques to those in need this month.The Department admitted yesterday it had experienced problems with payments and pledged to try to get all outstanding cheques to clients by tomorrow (Friday).One woman, who asked not to be named, told The Royal Gazette she'd suffered a tough month after her rent was not sent to her landlord and she didn't receive her own welfare cheque.The 57-year-old grandmother, from Devonshire, said: “It was due on the 1st [of June] and up to now I still don't have it. I had to go and try to find out why I didn't get it.“They are so rude; they don't tell you nothing. They said I will get it on the next one [payment run] on the 15th. The 15th has come and gone and still there's nothing.”The woman, who was made redundant from her job in retail and is disabled, said she'd struggled to pay for medication and her rent without the financial help.Mrs Jackson said she wasn't certain how many people were affected but she'd spoken to a number of clients of the Department who had yet to receive June 1 payments, adding she found the delay “deeply disturbing”.“It causes hardship for people least able to bear it,” said the One Bermuda Alliance MP. “People have gone without medication. People have suffered the indignity of landlords confronting them over non-payment of rent.“The one saving grace for people on Financial Assistance is that they have been able to use their food cards.”Mrs Jackson said she was told by the Accountant General's payment clerk there was a “glitch” with a batch of payments sent a few days ago and a second batch sent last Tuesday.“As this issue came to my attention, Financial Assistance clients complained that no advisory had been issued on the delayed mailings,” she said. “Seniors travelled to pick them up at post offices to no avail and called the Accountant General's Office to learn what was happening. Times are tough all around but it has been especially stressful for people on Financial Assistance, particularly those with families, and seniors. Many have lost their jobs and have not been able to find another.”A Department of Financial Assistance spokesman said: “The Department of Financial Assistance (DFA) was alerted last Friday by the Accountant General's Department of problems being experienced completing the download of cheques and wire payments for the DFA second run.“DFA understands that the problem was resolved late yesterday afternoon and cheques are now being sent out and wire payments should hit accounts by this Friday.”The spokesman did not respond to a question about how many clients were affected by the delay by press time.