BENEFIT books are being phased out between 2003 and 2005. They are to be replaced by direct payments to banks, building societies or post offices to help combat fraud.
As I understand it, you just tick a box on a form to arrange payment to a bank or building society account.
However, to continue using your post office, you must tick a box, fill out an application form to get a swipe card, and use the card in conjunction with a PIN number. After all that you can only use the post office account for benefits, not general money transactions. Assuming you have a bank or building society account, which option is most likely to be chosen?
The £450 million of Government money being allocated, coincidentally over three years, to help rural post offices does not seem such a generous package after all.
S Beadle,
The Shrubberies,
Cliffe, Selby.
Updated: 11:01 Thursday, December 12, 2002
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