HUNDREDS of blind pensioners in Swindon will be unable to access their pensions when Post Office Card Accounts are axed, it has been claimed.

The Swindon branch of the Wiltshire Blind Association has made a direct appeal to the town's two Labour MPs to lobby government ministers.

The Government controversially plans to end Post Office card accounts in 2010 and instead pay the cash directly into claimants' bank accounts.

POCA accounts were set up to allow the secure payment of pensions and other benefits, replacing the old system of booklets and cash over the counter.

But John Vickery, the Swindon branch chairman of the Wiltshire Blind Association, fears that elderly blind people will be unable to use hole-in-the-wall bank machines to withdraw their pensions.

In his letter to South Swindon MP Anne Snelgrove, he said: "When the payment books were to be replaced it was only after writing to you that myself and others at our Wednesday Club for the blind and partially sighted took part in research and had the card modified.

"Now it seems that someone thinks that as we have jumped through this hoop, we can just move on to bank machines.

"I wonder how they would cope when forced to operate ATM with their eyes closed."

Branch secretary Mike Beale said cash machines would need audio announcements for them to be used by the majority of blind people.

But such speaker systems would raise security concerns.

Department Of Work And Pensions figures show that 2,900 pensioners in North Swindon and 2,600 in South Swindon have their money paid into post office card accounts.

Several hundred of these are either blind or visually impaired.

A total of 2,900 elderly people in North Wiltshire receive payments through the accounts.

Mrs Snelgrove said: "I am very concerned about the consequences for blind and partially sighted Post Office customers and so I have asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how he will take their needs into account.

"I am very grateful to John and the Wiltshire Blind Association for raising this matter with me.

"They have taken part in research before into changes in the Post Office accounts and I hope their input this time has positive results."

North Swindon MP Michael Wills has also vowed to raise the issue with government ministers.