ONE IN FOUR LOCAL POST OFFICES UNDER THREAT (Eastleigh Liberal Democrats)

Eastleigh Liberal Democrats <enquiries@eastleighlibdems.org.uk>

ONE IN FOUR LOCAL POST OFFICES UNDER THREAT

November 4, 2008 2:00 PM

Chris Huhne campaigning with John Dudley Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne today warned that one in four local post offices could be forced to shut their doors if ministers fail to renew the contract for paying pensions and benefits.

Mr Huhne made an appeal to Government ministers to save local post offices by renewing their contract for the Post Office Card Account, due to expire in 2010.

"The Government will be signing the death sentence for even more local post offices if they take away the contract for payments of benefits and pensions" said Mr Huhne.

"We have already lost far too many local post offices, which are the heart of many local communities."

Chris Huhne, pictured here campaigning with John Dudley, the manager of the Boyatt Wood post office in Eastleigh, said: "Ministers must take account of the feelings of local people and local communities. We cannot afford to lose more post offices".

"I am very worried about the rumours that the Government intends to give the contract to another company, paying benefits and pensions through garages and other outlets. It would be a slap in the face for all the people who are fighting to save their local post office" said Mr Huhne.

"Just five years ago the Government described the Post Office Card Account as the 'cornerstone' of the Post Office's new banking products" said Mr Huhne.

Mr Huhne said that the potential move by the Government was perplexing given The Royal Mail Group's half-yearly results, which showed that Post Office Limited has generated a profit in the first half of 2008/9. "The Post Office Card Account is a financially viable service as well as locally useful" said Mr Huhne.

"More than 6,500 local people in my constituency alone have come to rely on the POCA as the only means of accessing their benefits because they are disabled, elderly or simply cannot afford to travel miles to the nearest bank" said Mr Huhne.

"If the Post Office are unable to renew their contract many of the more vulnerable members of our society will suffer."