§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what discussions his Department has had with the Post Office about the contents of the three new forms for new pensioners currently under trial;
(2)when the current trial of new forms for new pensioners will be completed; and if he will make the results public;
(3)if he will make it his policy for all new pensioners to continue to be equally informed about all the methods of pension payment available to them;
(4)how long before the date on which someone becomes eligible for a state pension he or she is sent the form which asks which method of payment is preferred;
(5)how many people have been sent each type of form in the current trial of new forms for new pensioners.
§ Miss WiddecombeOur policy is to encourage the use of automated credit transfer which is more secure, reliable and cost effective than order books. Nevertheless the Department will continue to make available to all new pensioners information about all methods of pension payment. Forms are sent to future pensioners approximately four months before the expected date of eligibility.
The three forms being trialled at present are being sent to 8,000 people each. The last of these forms will be sent out on 16 March. The contents of the forms are not a matter for the Post Office, but Post Office Counters Ltd. was made aware of the trial.
The results of the trial will inform our decision on what kind of form to use in future; and that form will of course be published.