Government Must Rethink Abolition of the Post Office Card Account

10.34.04pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 12th Oct 2006

Commenting on new figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats that show that in Carshalton and Wallington over five thousand people use the post office card account to receive their pensions or benefits Tom Brake MP said:

"Why does the Government want to wreck this invaluable service? The post office card account offers an accessible and affordable way for thousands of local people to receive their benefits, yet the Government want to scrap it within the next four years.

"If the post offices do not get the income 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 further on an Age Concern Report published earlier this month Tom Brake MP said:

"The Government must open their eyes; post office closures devastate communities. And communities are opposed to the closures with nearly 8 out of 10 people feeling that the closure of their local post office would present a loss of essential local services."