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| Sunday Express, 22 January 2006 |
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| MILLIONS of pensioners' finances will be left in disarray because of further changes in the way the state pension is paid, campaigners warn. |
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| The Government has just announced plans to axe the Post Office Card Account - used by 2.3million pensioners to collect their weekly benefits - within four years. |
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| Critics claim the move will cause more confusion and upheaval for vulnerable elderly people who have struggled to understand the new system after the much-loved pension book w as scrapped last April. |
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| Many have had problems getting to grips with using a bank card and four-digit personal identification number (Pin) to w ithdraw their cash. |
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| On occasions, the Department for Work and Pensions has failed to transfer state pension payments into their accounts on time, leaving them without cash. |
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| There are also fears the decision to drop the Card A ccount will mean thousands of post offices will be forced to close. |
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| "We are concerned about the effect this move will have on the more vulnerable, for whom claiming benefits is already a highly convoluted process, " said Tory welfare reform spokesman David Ruffley. |
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"We now need clarification from the Government on what it intends to do to ensure benefit recipients continue to receive a decent service at their Post Office."
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| Neil Duncan Jordan of pressure group the National Pensioners Convention said: |
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| "Our worry is that the Government will not put in place an alternative to the Post Office account when it disappears in 2010. People who have a Post Office account will need to use the cheque-based system or open a bank or building society account. |
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| "Our concern is that the Government will not want 2.5million people using cheques and this will also put this method of payment in jeopardy." |
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| Gordon Lishman, Age Concern's Director-General, said: "These accounts were set up so benefits, pensions and tax credits could be paid directly into the Post Office. |
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| "This made it much easier for older people not holding bank accounts to receive their cash securely and without the fear of becoming overdrawn or paying extra charges." |
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| Anna Pearson of Help the Aged said: "A lot of people, particularly those with dementia or sight problems, may never be able to cope with having a bank account or using a card with a Pin number. |
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| "However, the Post Office account isn't particularly great. |
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| All it allows people to do is withdraw their pension from a cash machine in the post office. You can't use it to set up direct debits to pay bills, or use it in shops. |
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| "We hope the Government will look at alternative arrangements to allow people to take advantage of better deals, such as those available from energy suppliers for customers who pay by direct debit." |
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| Duncan-Jordan urged those concerned about how they will receive their pension when the Post Office account is stopped to ask for form P6167 at their post office. |
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| It allows people to request their pension is paid by cheque. |
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