§ Mr. LuffTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will instruct the child benefit centre to write to all recipients of child benefit reminding them of their right to claim benefit in cash from their local post office; and if he will make a statement of his policy on encouraging benefit payments to be made by direct transfer to a local bank account. [101327]
§ Mr. RookerI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Northavon (Mr. Webb) on 1 December 1999,Official Report, column 238W.
We do not intend to take active steps to move customers on to automated credit transfer (ACT) before 2003. Until then, the Department will continue, in the normal way, to provide customers with the information they need on benefit payment options, and customers will continue, as now, to be able to choose between payment by order book at post offices and payment by ACT.