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Dept for Work and Pensions

Answer

Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people collect benefits from post offices in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK. [103559] Malcolm Wicks: Information available on the number of people that receive benefits by a method of payment collectable from post offices as at 25 January 2003 is in the table. Included in these figures are customers paid by Girocheque. Girocheques are encashable either at a post office or they can be paid into a bank or building society account. Some customers who are paid direct into an account can also collect their benefit in cash at post offices through network banking arrangements at the post office. There are no data available on the number of benefit claims collected in this way. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Total benefit recipients Payable at post offices Jarrow constituency 35,911 26,511 South Tyneside 68,886 51,931 North East 1,073,900 747,964 Great Britain 21,641,051 12,456,733 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1. People in receipt of more than one benefit may have those benefits combined to a single benefit account. Figures are in terms of these accounts. 2. Figures for Great Britain are for England, Scotland and Wales. Information for Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Office. 3. The `Payable at post offices' column represents customers who have their benefit paid either entirely by paper method, or at least one of their benefits is by paper if they are receiving a combination of benefits and some are being paid direct.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

401 c911W;401 c917-8W; 103559

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Payments Post offices North East Social security benefits South Tyneside Jarrow

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk