Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[STEMO]

She's had a letter from the DWP asking telling her to fill out a form with her bank details because, in future, all pensions will have to be paid this way as they are stopping using the post office. How many pensioners will this affect adversely? I would imagine it will cause all kinds of problems for really old people who simply don't have a bank account. My mum is housebound but, luckily, my brother lives with her and can get out to do her shopping and paying the bills, etc.
The bastards either have no clue or just don't care.

[Shackeng]

She's had a letter from the DWP asking telling her to fill out a form with her bank details because, in future, all pensions will have to be paid this way as they are stopping using the post office. How many pensioners will this affect adversely? I would imagine it will cause all kinds of problems for really old people who simply don't have a bank account. My mum is housebound but, luckily, my brother lives with her and can get out to do her shopping and paying the bills, etc.
The bastards either have no clue or just don't care.

It seems from here that pension from PO is still OK Steve.
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/pensions/article-6258041/Stop-bullying-having-bank-account-Post-Office-card-holders-fury.html

They tried to make me do this when I first drew my pension, and I refused. I was the phoned by someone from DWP: "May I ask why you want it paid at the PO?" Sez he.
"Yes" Sez I.
"Well why then?" Sez he.
"None of your ....... business" Sez I (choose any swear word).
 So for many years I did so in order to put the business through our village PO. However recently, the postmistress tells me it makes no difference, so I swapped it to bank but still use the PO for bank cash.

[dave the builder]

Is the letter genuine ,from the DWP
before you start giving bank details
worth checking 

[STEMO]

She's had a letter from the DWP asking telling her to fill out a form with her bank details because, in future, all pensions will have to be paid this way as they are stopping using the post office. How many pensioners will this affect adversely? I would imagine it will cause all kinds of problems for really old people who simply don't have a bank account. My mum is housebound but, luckily, my brother lives with her and can get out to do her shopping and paying the bills, etc.
The bastards either have no clue or just don't care.

It seems from here that pension from PO is still OK Steve.
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/pensions/article-6258041/Stop-bullying-having-bank-account-Post-Office-card-holders-fury.html

They tried to make me do this when I first drew my pension, and I refused. I was the phoned by someone from DWP: "May I ask why you want it paid at the PO?" Sez he.
"Yes" Sez I.
"Well why then?" Sez he.
"None of your ....... business" Sez I (choose any swear word).
 So for many years I did so in order to put the business through our village PO. However recently, the postmistress tells me it makes no difference, so I swapped it to bank but still use the PO for bank cash.

Thanks, Chris, just rang my brother and told him. He will tell mum and she will make her own mind up. I advised her to stay with the PO......so as to try to protect those with no bank account.

As an aside, they don't offer you weekly or fortnightly payments either, and do their best to hide it from you that it is an entitlement in law, if you want it. Costs them money, you see.

[Lizzie Zoom]

Using a post office may become as difficult as finding an ATM, so do not be so sure  that your mum, or her representatives, will not have to use a bank eventually.

There has been a widespread report recently that more than 2,500 post offices could shut in the near future:
This is just one of the news reports:
https://www.express.co.uk/finance/city/1129571/post-office-closures-latest-list-is-my-post-office-shutting-down

The post office itself is apparently on the brink of collapse and indeed I can vouch for that in our town; one sub-post office and one main office has closed over the last few months.  The business has been hit by changing customer practices, like using the online facility for renewing passports, obtaining road tax, managing bank accounts, paying utility bills, etc, etc. 

Once again, it must be said, that the retail sector is changing fast and post offices, like branches of the main banks, are disappearing as most of us use the modern facilities.  I include myself in that, getting my pensions into my bank account and paying everything via standing orders of direct debits or using a debit card.  I cannot remember when I last used a post office; I even buy the few postage stamps I need over the year in Sainsbury's!

This is not good for the elderly who have not adopted the new fangled ways of business, but that is the way life is going in 2019