§ 27. Mr. ThomasonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if pensioners will continue to be able to choose to have their benefits paid through the Post Office. [39711]
§ Mr. HealdPensioners will continue to be able to choose to have their benefits paid directly into their bank or building society accounts by automated credit transfer or to collect them at the post office.
Plans to automate the system for paying benefit at post offices are well advanced. For customers, this will mean that order books and giros are replaced with a benefit payment card, which they will hand to the post office clerk to obtain details of the benefit due to them. Starting next year, this change is likely to be phased in over a period of two to three years. Pensioners and other benefit recipients will be informed about what is happening, and exactly what they will need to do, nearer the time when cards are to be issued to them. People who choose to be paid by ACT will not be affected by this change and will not need a benefit payment card.