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Sir Alan welcomes PO payments decision
MP Sir Alan Beith has welcomed a Government decision to keep benefit payments in the Post Office.
Earlier this year the Government invited bids from private companies, and the Post Office, for the contract to pay out pensions and benefits from 2010.
But the move faced stiff opposition, with estimates that an extra 6,000 Post Office branches nationwide could close if the business was taken away.
Now it has been announced that the contract will stay with the Post Office and its Card Account will continue.
Sir Alan, who has been a keen supporter of the Card Account, with thousands of his constituents using it to receive their entitlements, backed the decision.
"The Government's u-turn is very welcome as it means our remaining Post Offices have a better chance of staying open, but this is a u-turn that should never have had to happen in the first place," he said.
"The Government should have realised the importance of Post Offices to communities and awarded the new contract to the network without these months of delay.
"Instead, local branches have had to deal with the uncertainty that ministerial dithering and unnecessary contracting processes has caused.
"Hopefully, local branches can now plan ahead, knowing they will continue to pay out pensions and benefits, but we are also calling on the Government to carry out another u-turn.
"It must stop putting pressure on pensioners and benefit claimants to get their cash paid through the banks. People should have a choice."
Sir Alan is also fighting for a full review of the consultation process that has seen 2,500 Post Offices close in a rationalisation programme across the country.
He has lodged a Freedom of Information request to force the Post Office to demonstrate that it looked properly at all the comments submitted.
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Weather for Morpeth
Wednesday 30 May 2012
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 10 C to 16 C
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