Cornish MPs call for Card Account rethink
New figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats show that more than 43,000 people in Cornwall use the Post Office Card Account to receive their pensions or benefits. The five-strong team of Cornish Liberal Democrat MPs is calling for Ministers to rethink their decision to scrap the card.
Chair of the Liberal Democrat Team for Cornwall, Colin Breed MP said:
"It is astonishing that the Government seems intent on destroying a service which is of such great value to so many people across Cornwall and the UK as a whole. The Post Office Card Account offers an accessible and affordable way for thousands of people in the area to receive their benefits, yet the Government proposes to axe it."
Liberal Democrat MP for Falmouth and Camborne, Julia Goldsworthy MP, added:
"The Government risks further undermining our vital network of rural Post Offices by removing the Card Account revenue stream. Not content with closing 3,500 Post Offices since Labour came to power, Ministers seem set on playing fast and loose with the future of yet another batch of rural branches."
Commenting further on an Age Concern Report published earlier this month,
North Cornwall MP, Dan Rogerson, said:
"The Government must pay far greater heed to the effects the closure of post offices have on a community – nearly 8 out of 10 people feel that the closure of their local post office would present a loss of essential local services.
"This is yet another example of an over centralised Government entirely out of touch with Cornish communities."
Notes to Editors
1. The Age Concern report findings on Post Offices can be found at:
http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/AgeConcern/BBA8F3E6C959416E9437E36F9B00EBD4.asp
2. The team of Cornish Liberal Democrat MPs recently presented a petition against Post Office closures in Cornwall to 10 Downing Street. A photograph is available on request.
3. Liberal Democrats have led the way with positive proposals for a shared ownership scheme for the Royal Mail, which would provide Post Office branches with £2bn of investment for new technology and diversification.
