Over 3,000 post offices may close

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... close.html

Thousands more post offices face closure if the Government deprives them of the right to handle pension and benefit payments, it has been claimed.

Sub-postmasters warned that as many as 3,000 post offices could be forced out of business unless they were awarded the contract to pay state pensions and other benefits over the counter.

This came as plans were revealed yesterday that could lead to the scrapping of Saturday mail deliveries. Regulator Postcomm last night sought to distance itself from the idea, but the threat is likely to further inflame critics who claim the government is not doing enough to protect services.

The contract – known as the Post Office Card Account 2 –provides a key element of the income for post offices, but it is up for tender with two rival bidders. If the Post Office loses out, many small local branches would go to the wall, the National Federation of Sub-postmasters (NFSP) said.

Card account transactions provide about 12 per cent of sub-postmasters' earnings.

Any closures resulting from the loss of the card account business would come on top of Government plans that will see at least 2,500 Post Office branches shut.

George Thomson, general secretary of the NFSP, told the Telegraph: "If the Government fails to award the post office card account contract to the Post Office, the effect will be catastrophic. Millions of pensioners and those on benefits choose to pick up their money at the post office. This is what keeps so many sub-postmasters in ­business."

Handling pension and benefit payments has the added advantage for sub-postmasters of drawing in customers who could go elsewhere for services such as renewing car tax and buying stamps and stationery.

Mr Thomson, who will address the NFSP's annual conference in Torquay tomorrow, said: "If the Government chooses not to award the POCA2 contract to the Post Office, up to 25 per cent of those post offices remaining open will be forced to close."

Among rival bidders for the seven-year contract, which starts in 2010, is thought to be PayPoint, which operates a cash-handling service at 16,500 outlets, mainly local shops

The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform said: "There are a number of bank and current accounts which people can access at post offices. People who choose to have their pension or benefit paid into a bank account can still access it through the Post Office."

[DirtyHarry]

Why is Gordon Brown faffing around ? ............... Close the fecking lot down, Gordon............Then, Britain needn't spend a single penny providing
a basic social need to it's people.......Tory cnut.

[k979aaa]

Why is Gordon Brown faffing around ? ............... Close the fecking lot down, Gordon............Then, Britain needn't spend a single penny providing
a basic social need to it's people.......Tory cnut.

I heard that gordon was thinking just that last year when he saw all the people cueing to get their money from northern rock!. He thought i know let's close the post office's and use northen rock instead and pay their pension's into northen rock!.

[DirtyHarry]

Why is Gordon Brown faffing around ? ............... Close the fecking lot down, Gordon............Then, Britain needn't spend a single penny providing
a basic social need to it's people.......Tory cnut.

I heard that gordon was thinking just that last year when he saw all the people cueing to get their money from northern rock!. He thought i know let's close the post office's and use northen rock instead and pay their pension's into northen rock!.

And for Gordon's next trick, coming in October, a generous CUT in benefits for those out of work through disability. Why does the CWU continue to be affiliated with those
Tory b'stards ?

[Darren Bent]

Gordon Browns are not tories. They just not proper ones.

[DirtyHarry]

Gordon Browns are not tories. They just not proper ones.

I don't care what any government calls themselves, but when they do the sort of things this shower of shite do, I'll call 'em Tories.

[k979aaa]

Gordon Browns are not tories. They just not proper ones.

I don't care what any government calls themselves, but when they do the sort of things this shower of shite do, I'll call 'em Tories.

Whatever they are they are not working class and all are overpaid jumped up charley's with their university education!. THEY KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT NOTHING AND NOTHING ABOUT EVERYTHING!. MONEY IS POWER BIG BUISNESS IS POWER AND GOVERNMENT IS THE ROUTE OF ALL EVIL TO POWER!.

[DirtyHarry]

Gordon Browns are not tories. They just not proper ones.

I don't care what any government calls themselves, but when they do the sort of things this shower of shite do, I'll call 'em Tories.

Whatever they are they are not working class and all are overpaid jumped up charley's with their university education!. THEY KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT NOTHING AND NOTHING ABOUT EVERYTHING!. MONEY IS POWER BIG BUISNESS IS POWER AND GOVERNMENT IS THE ROUTE OF ALL EVIL TO POWER!.

It's high time that socialism was re-introduced into what was once THE Labour party.