Ian Murray – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2014-03-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions his Department has had with (a) Post Office Limited and (b) the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters on the future use of the Post Office Card Account.

Steve Webb

The Post Office card account (POca) contract expires in March 2015 with the possibility of a 2 year extension beyond that date.

The POca is a very simple account designed for the receipt of pensions and legacy benefits. It cannot be used for the payment of wages/salaries and does not offer transactional services such as direct debits so will not be suitable for the majority of working age claimants eligible for Universal Credit.

No decision has been made on the future of the POca but discussions are currently taking place between DWP, Post Office Ltd and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to consider the future needs of customers beyond 2015 and any announcement on this matter will be made in due course.

Ministers and Officials have also met with relevant stakeholders, including the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters to discuss POca related issues.