Millions struggle to get to local Post Office
The number of UK residents who have trouble getting to their local branch has doubled since Labour came to power in 1997, reports The Daily Telegraph. The article continues:
The report by the Department for Communities and Local Government found one in 10 households – equating to 5m in England – had problems accessing their local branch.
In 1997, when Labour came to power, the figure in the same study – the Survey of English Housing – was less than 5%.
This is the latest evidence that the decade-long programme of Post Office closures has wreaked havoc on many consumers, many of which rely heavily on the key service, for access to their pensions, paying their bills as well as contact with their neighbours.
Since 1997 the number of post office branches has fallen from 19,000 to 11,500.
The most recent closure programme, which ended in March, saw 2,500 branches shut in just 18 months – the fastest post office closure programme in history, as the Royal Mail, the parent company, fought to reverse crippling loses in its business.
Caroline Spelman, the shadow Communities secretary, said: “These new figures expose the stark effect of the Labour Government’s policies of closing post offices.
“The fact is that Labour ministers don’t care about rural communities and don’t understand the social impact of closing community services.”
Matters were unlikely to improve next year when local shops and pubs which have diversified into postal services would be “taxed out of existence” by a new business rates re-evaluation, she added.
Gordon Brown, the prime minister, pledged his support for allowing Royal Mail to sell more banking services through its post office network.
The Royal Mail and campaigners have welcomed the move, but it has come too late for many pensioners, who have been the hardest hit by the severe reduction in the Post Office network, warned the charity Age Concern Help the Aged.
Andrew Harrop, head of public policy at the charity, said: “The increased difficulty in accessing post offices is a matter of concern for us as many older people rely on them heavily for a variety of services. More worryingly, the recent spate of post office closure is bound to reduce the service’s accessibility even further.
“Our research shows that post offices are a real lifeline for older people, who use them as a ‘one-stop shop’ to access their pension and benefits, pay their bills, get advice and information, as well as meet and socialise with others.”
It calculated that 18% of the 12.9m people over the age of 60 – equating to 2.3m people – now have to travel at least half a mile to post a parcel or pick up their weekly pension cheques, following the closure programme.
The government has promised that 99% of the population would still be within three miles of their local branch, and at least 90% would be within one mile.
Pensioner groups have argued that many elderly people find walking more than half a mile difficult.
