§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the project brief for automatic benefit payments accounting systems at post offices allows for the introduction of transaction charges for(a) Post Office operators and (b) benefit claimants.
§ Mr. ArbuthnotThe system of charges to be paid by the Department of Social Security to Post Office Counters Ltd. for encashments under the automated system will be a matter for negotiation. The system for remunerating individual sub-post offices is a commercial agreement between Post Office Counters Ltd. and the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters.
There is no intention to introduce a transaction charge for benefit claimants.