§ Mr. Onslowasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received concerning the refusal of the Post Office to authorise more than one emergency payment per week to retirement pensioners, even where there is good reason for the delay in applying for the first such payment; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonInquiries and representations have been received from a number of pensioners and pensioners' organisations about the arrangement, which was agreed between DHSS and the Post Office, whereby post offices make only one emergency payment in each calendar week on the stub of an expired pension order book. This limitation on the issue of emergency payments is essential if the emergency arrangements are to be kept simple for post offices to operate, without involving too great a risk of incorrect payments being made.
All the Department's advertising of the emergency arrangements therefore emphasises the need for the pensioner, or someone on his behalf, to collect emergency payments every week. A pensioner who is away from home can obtain up to two emergency payments from a post office other than his usual office. Any person who has missed one or more payments and who is not able to wait until the end of the emergency for those missed payments should contact the local social security office.