Norman Baker MP Member of Parliament for Lewes constituency
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Contact Norman at:
Norman Baker,
23 East Street,
Lewes,
East Sussex,
BN7 2LJ.
Tel: (01273) 480281.
Fax: (01273) 480287.
Email: info
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2003 (and previous) press releases
Lewes MP Reveals Scrapping Pension Book Means Up to 7430 Fewer Customers For Local Post Offices
Lewes MP Norman Baker today revealed new figures showing that local post offices in his constituency will lose up to 7,340 customers, as the 36% of pensioners who currently collect their entitlement from post offices in the area will in future be forced to have it paid through banks and building societies. Current Government plans aim to phase out pension books so that by April 2005 they will no longer be usable at post offices.
The figures have been produced by the independent House of Commons library, and show that the Government's plan to scrap the pension book will result in a massive loss of revenue for the post office network.
The Government is writing to all pensioners and benefit claimants who pick up their money at the post office and telling them to choose one of three 'direct payment' options. The new figures show that, nationwide, up to 10 million people who get their money at the post office, including 2,850,000 pension book users, will in future get their money from a bank or building society. The exodus will mean post offices are robbed of vital income as they receive a fee for processing each benefit payment.
Many pensioners have reportedly been talked into signing up for new bank accounts and internal Government documents reveal that staff are under pressure to push to customers into taking this 'cheap' option.
Norman comments:
"Millions of pensioners use and want to continue to use a pension book. The Government is now applying heavy-handed tactics which will create a mass exodus of pensioners out of the post office and into the high street banks.
"The plans will rob the post office network of vital revenue and will accelerate the rate of closures. Many of the pensioners who want to stick with the post office could be met with a permanent 'closed' sign.
"The Government's plans are driven by cost-cutting and not what is best for pensioners or the wider community. Most pensioners are comfortable with what they know. They have no desire to change. It is not too late for the Government to think again and allow pensioners to hang onto their pension books."