Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect on claimants of no longer being able to receive benefits through their Post Office card accounts.

The Department has been encouraging Post Office card account customers to transfer to a standard account since 2016. Paying claimants into a standard account is the most efficient and safest payment method for the customer, and the Department.

Standard accounts have many advantages for the individual, for example, the ability to use direct debits and to pay for goods and services using a debit card. A standard account allows customers to access cash payments via a wide range of outlets and settings. The Post Office delivers personal banking services for a wide range of banks, building societies and other financial institutions, including cash withdrawal with a debit card.

The Department has continuously gathered insight from customers who contact us to discuss the closure of their Post Office card account to better understand their needs. This insight identified that some customers are unable to open or use an alternative account and for these customers we will pay through an alternative payment exception service to ensure that nobody will be left without access to their benefits or pension.