Rethink needed over abolition of Post Office Card
October 31, 2006 3:49 PM
David Howarth, MP for Cambridge and member of the Lib Dem Trade and Industry Team, has revealed that over 3700 people in Cambridge use the Post Office Card Account to receive their pensions or benefits.
Mr Howarth commented:
"It is astonishing that the Government seems intent on destroying a service which is of such great value to so many people in the local area in the country as a whole. The Post Office Card Account offers an accessible and affordable way for thousands of people in Cambridge 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 that will mean that even more than the 3500 post offices already closed by Labour will be put out of business."
Commenting further on an Age Concern Report published earlier this month, Mr. Howarth said:
"The Government must pay far greater heed to the effects that the closure of post offices has 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.
David Howarth outside Cambridge delivery office
"This is yet another example of an over centralised Government entirely out of touch with local communities."
The Government plans to scrap the Post Office Card Account in 2010.
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