THE people of North Yorkshire should know that massive cutbacks proposed for the Post Office could prove to be the tip of the iceberg when the Government changes the way it pays benefits and pensions in May.

Many claimants appear to be under the impression that the decision to pay benefits directly into bank accounts means they can no longer collect their cash at a post office. This is not the case, and in fact the new arrangements have increased the level of services post offices can offer the public.

Customers with current accounts, basic accounts and the ideal new post office card account can claim their cash free of charge at any post office branch. Those with bank accounts can also deposit cash, make cash withdrawals and balance inquiries - just like they do at any ordinary high street bank.

This new era will mean the nation's 17,000 post offices become its banks as well. The post office will become the largest banking network in the United Kingdom - a development that could safeguard thousands of jobs within this valued public service.

For this to happen, postal workers are banking on the public. We urge everybody to tell their friends and family that the post office is for cash - whether it be for benefits or not.

With some crown post offices facing a 40 per cent drop in trade if people stop using them to collect benefits and pensions, the future of our industry is in your hands.

Stuart Brown,

Assistance Branch Secretary,

Communication Workers Union,

the York & District Branch,

Leeman Road,

York.

...THE Royal Mail has recently introduced changes to letterbox displays.

Apart from the last collection, times of other individual collections are no longer displayed, and the tablets indicating the next collection are no longer used.

Royal Mail tell me the changes have been made to meet the needs of the Disability Discrimination Act. I would say the new "displays" discriminate against all letterbox users except Royal Mail staff - who will now be able to "tinker" with collection times to their hearts content.

I have written to the postal services watchdog and my own MP. I urge all like-minded readers to do the same.

Edwin Hudson,

Shaw Crescent,

Huby, York.

Updated: 10:44 Friday, April 04, 2003