DiNapoli offers Web site, phone numbers for pensioners

ALBANY - Seeking to appease frustrated retirees, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced Friday an additional avenue for them to request replacements of pension checks lost by the U.S. Postal Service.

DiNapoli advised retirees from state and local governments to log on to his Web site, www.osc.state.ny.us, and click on "request a pension check reissue or report receiving a check." He said the site was secure and would speed the process of getting last month's payment to retirees.

DiNapoli spokeswoman Emily DeSantis said Friday about 500 requests for reissued checks had been received so far via the Internet.

A telephone help line also will be open Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Operators can be reached by dialing 866-805-0990 or 518-474-7736. They will be available Monday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., two more hours than usual.

DiNapoli announced the moves after complaints from retirees who couldn't get through to help-line operators. More than 71,000 calls have been received since Jan. 4.

Some of the 60,000 checks sent last month have gone missing because of a glitch by the postal service. On Long Island, 6,600 checks out of 7,300 are missing. Some were delivered Friday.

More than 80 percent of retirees have their pension payments deposited directly in bank accounts, only 16 percent rely on mailed checks.