HC Deb 24 July 2002 vol 389 cc1551-2W
Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what contingency plans are in place for April 2003 should the Universal Bank not be established on time. [70423]

Malcolm Wicks

I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Northavon (Mr. Webb) on 5 July 2002,Official Report, column 630W.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of people receive their(a) state pension, (b) incapacity benefit, (c) disability living allowance and (d) invalid care allowance via automated credit transfer and encashment of girocheques broken down by constituency. [70415]

Malcolm Wicks

Statistical information relating to the proportion of people that receive their benefit direct into their bank/building society, by girocheque and other methods of payment, broken down by constituency, has been placed in the library.

Mr. Willetts

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the generic features of each type of account into which benefits will be paid from 2003 onwards. [72426]

Malcolm Wicks

Benefits may be paid into a wide range of accounts, including standard current accounts, building society accounts, basic bank accounts and, from 2003, the card account at the Post Office. The Financial Services Authority publish a leaflet ("No bank account? Why it could pay you to have one") setting out the generic features of the different types of bank account. The most important differences between the different types of account are—Current accounts normally offer a cheque book and overdraft facilities; —Basic bank accounts and, from 2003, the card account at the Post Office are operated using a plastic card and a PIN number and do not provide overdraft facilities; —Basic and current accounts offer facilities to pay for goods and services in shops, to pay bills by Direct Debit and Standing Order, to accept payment in of wages and other credits, and to obtain cash in a variety of ways, including from cash machines and "Cashback" in some shops: —Some current accounts already provide for payments in and cash withdrawals at post offices; from 2003 all the major banks will make their basic accounts accessible at post offices; —The card account at the Post. Office, available from 2003, will only accept payment in of benefits and tax credits, and will only permit cash withdrawals at post offices.

The Department is currently planning an information campaign to give customers the factual information they need to make an informed choice about which type of account to use when we start to pay benefits and pensions into accounts from 2003.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of benefits in(a) Roxburgh and Berwickshire and (b) Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale there are, broken down by the method of payment. [70416]

Mr. Malcolm Wicks

The information has been placed in the Library.