We’re concerned about the continuing delay in announcing the future of the Post Office Card Account

Post Office sign
Posted on:
Thursday, 6th November 2008 at 10:12am

We’re concerned about the continuing delay in announcing the future of the Post Office Card Account (POCA). This is causing further uncertainty for local Post Offices and customers. Together with other stakeholders, we wrote to the Government earlier this year about the damaging impact on rural communities if the Post Office and its network lose the POCA contract.


POCA is particularly important for rural residents and those without bank accounts who otherwise would have to travel further to access their benefits, state pensions and tax credit payments.


The rural population is increasingly ageing and faces added difficulties if essential services are removed. With the onset of economic recession there is an even greater need for people to have access to these vital local services.


We’re keen to help ensure the arrangements for the successor to POCA are rural proofed to provide an adequate level of coverage in rural areas.


Find out more about some of the work we've been doing on post offices in rural areas

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Comments

1
Why is it that everything the Government actually does seems to work against their stated objectives of protecting and stimulating rural communities ? Would it be too cynical to think that they decided to tender out the PCR to provide an external excuse for shutting down more Post Offices ? If the PO isn't the cheapest in the tender the Government will be able to claim (and will do so - you see) that EU competition law prevents them from deciding to retain the PCR with the PO. They didn't need to tender it in the first place. We need some positive discrimination to actively protect and stimulate the villages. These incessant Labour moves towards centralisation and bigger-is-best, schools, police forces, ambulance services, cottage hospitals etc etc is destroying rural communities. This disproportionately affects the increasingly aged rural population and every closure has knock-on effects - if the school closes, young families move out, shops and pubs become non-viable, the village dies. If the PO closes, the associated village shop closes, the village becomes less attractive to families, the school closes and so on. When will the Government learn - or are they only interested in towns and cities - because they have no vote base in the countryside ??? Well, they certainly won't get my vote !  The really depressing thing is that the Tories and Libdems also don't really seem to have the drive or policies to change things for rural communities. who can we turn to ???!
Posted by  at 5:23pm on Wednesday, 12th November 2008
2

Thanks for your comment.

Rural services such as Post Offices, schools and village shops have crucial social and community roles.

Our 'Big Picture' publication points out the need to account for the the true social value of existing services, and to move away from narrow ‘vertical silo’ accounting which only looks at financial viability of services.

We want to work with government to ensure that policy is fully rural proofed, taking into account rural conditions and circumstances.

Posted by Russell Tanner  at 8:58am on Thursday, 13th November 2008
3

It is interesting that Lord Mandleson chose the beginning of the week to suggest that Post Office Ltd should diversify. A clear sign that he has been out of the country for some time. What does he think they have been doing for the past 5 years? The problem is that this diversification is of little relevance to Rural Communities. The way the Post Office is structured at the moment is out of date and out of kilter for rural groups. I worry that Lord Mandelson's ill informed announcement is a softener to another knife being inserted into the Rural Jugular. There needs to be a planned and budgeted separate policy for Post Office and financial provison in our country areas. A policy that is designed to help strengthen rural economies. It can be done, but requires a shake up of the current intransigent attitudes and a will to make a difference rather than talk one.

Posted by Peter Smith  at 10:18am on Thursday, 13th November 2008
4
Thanks for your comment Peter.
We'll keep working to try and challenge thinking and ensure that the rural proofing of policy happens.
Posted by Russell Tanner  at 10:35am on Thursday, 13th November 2008

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