BARRIERS TO POST OFFICE CARD ACCOUNT USE

Early day motion 628, tabled 12 February 2004 by Michael Connarty (Labour). Signed by 110 members.

That this House is deeply concerned at the contents of documents circulated by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in the name of Mr Alan Linton, PMP Project Manager, in October 2003 which outlines a strategy to use informed choice discussions to persuade nine out of 10 customers to agree to be paid by direct payment while instructing staff to persuade customers that they should not choose Post Office Card Accounts; notes that performance managers would be given the task of setting performance forecasts against which DWP areas would be benchmarked; recognises that this approach by DWP is a move beyond the previously obstructive approach to customers seeking a Post Office Card Account to an aggressive programme to prevent a free and open choice by elderly people and other DWP customers to get their payments through the Post Office; and calls on the DWP to bring in simplified procedures to allow access by those who wish to be paid through a Post Office Card Account.

Signatures by party: Labour 67, Conservative 21, Liberal Democrat 10, Labour/Co-operative 5, Plaid Cymru 3, UUP 2, Independent Conservative 1, Scottish National Party 1.