Government must rethink abolition of Post Office Card Account

5.28.35pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 13th Oct 2006

Jo has campaigned to save local Post Office services

New figures show that over three thousand residents in East Dunbartonshire - many of them pensioners - will lose an accessible method of receiving their benefits when a key Post Office scheme is ended by the Government.

The statistics, uncovered by the Liberal Democrats, reveal the extent of the disruption that will be caused by plans to withdraw the Post Office Card Account in 2010.

Jo commented:

"It is astonishing that the Government seems intent on destroying a service which is of such great value to so many people in East Dunbartonshire and the country as a whole. The Post Office Card Account offers an accessible and affordable way for thousands of people in the area to receive their benefits, yet the Government is proposing to axe it.

"Without the vital revenue stream from the Post Office Card Account, the Government is further undermining the long term viability of the post office network meaning that even more than the 3,500 post offices already closed by Labour will be put out of business."

Commenting on an Age Concern report on rural post offices published earlier this month, Jo said:

"The Government must pay far greater heed to the effects the closure of post offices have on a community - nearly 8 out of 10 people feel that the closure of their local post office would present a loss of essential local services.

"This is yet another example of an over centralised Government entirely out of touch with local communities."

Figures produced by the Liberal Democrats show that in East Dunbartonshire, 3130 people use Post Office Card Accounts. Of these people, 1510 use the card accounts to collect their pensions, while 1620 use the accounts to collect other benefits.

Related Link:

Age Concern report on rural post offices