GIVE us some certainty in our uncertain lives. That was the desperate plea today to the Government from 14 staff members of the doomed Allders store in Clifton Moor whose pensions have been thrown into question.

They are among 2,400 members of the retail chain's pension fund whose grim predicament arose when Allders collapsed and went into administration, having chalked up losses last year of £27 million.

Some estimates put the deficit in the pension fund at about £15 million.

Minerva, the property group which recently took a 60 per cent stake in the ailing organisation, has refused to accept any liability for the pension funding gap, claiming it had neither direct management control nor ownership - a stance which is facing legal challenge.

The problem was further complicated when administrators Kroll, unable to sell the Clifton Moor store, announced that it would close on March 20 unless a last-minute buyer could be found but this now seems increasingly unlikely.

Now, as the Clifton Moor staff gathered before opening time to exchange woes, their biggest fear was that the Government's planned pensions rescue package would let them down badly.

Ray Gall, manager who has been overseeing the sale of fixtures and fittings as well as stock at the Clifton Moor store, said that the Government seemed to be backtracking on the effectiveness of its new Pension Protection Fund due to come into operation on April 6.

Where at first it claimed that that 90 per cent of pensions would be covered, now there were no guarantees. He said: "It could be as low as 20 per cent.

"We must have some positive sign about the state of our pensions - whether we are going to get any and if so, precisely how much. Ideally, we want letters guaranteeing 90 per cent or, at the very least guaranteeing it won't fall below 50 per cent. The uncertainty is torture."

Doreen Brown, 57, due to retire in three years, said: "I should have amassed about £15,000 in pension contributions. What's going to happen to it? Nobody seems to know but I'm sure that retirement won't be possible now."

Pregnant Sally Paylor, who sells linens, said she had been promised by administrators Kroll that she would not lose her maternity pay.

"But I have worked for Allders for 10 years and I just don't know what is happening about my pension. My baby is due in May so these are worrying times."

Updated: 10:59 Monday, March 14, 2005