HC Deb 19 July 2002 vol 389 cc600-1W
Mr. David Stewart

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what actions his Department is taking to promote the use by benefit and pension recipients of cash payments from post offices from 2003 onwards. [70847]

Malcolm Wicks

[holding answer 18 July 2002]: I refer my hon. Friend to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare (Mr. Brian Cotter) on 11 June 2002, Official Report, column 874W.

Mr. David Stewart

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the percentage of benefit and pension recipients who will wish to collect their benefit moneys(a) in cash from a post office and (b) by ACT payments in (i) 2003, (ii) 2004, (iii) 2005, (iv) 2006 and (v) 2007. [70848]

Malcolm Wicks

[holding answer 18 July 2002]: Between 2003 and 2005 we will move to paying all benefits and pensions direct into bank accounts ("automated credit transfer" or ACT). Already over 40 per cent of customers are paid this way.

Even where a customer is paid directly into an account, they can still collect their cash at the post office, either through existing Network Banking arrangements between Post Office Ltd and several banks or, from 2003, through universal banking services at post offices. We have not estimated how many customers will choose to access their accounts at post offices, but research suggests that many will do so.