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Dept for Work and Pensions

Answer

Sandra Gidley: :To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) to how many benefit claimants the Department has sent personal invitation letters to open a Post Office Card Account; and how many of these are in receipt of state pensions; [166011] (2) how many benefit claimants have completed the Post Office Card Account application forms at post offices; and how many of these are in receipt of state pensions; [166012] (3) how many benefits claimants are being paid by the Department directly into Post Office card accounts; and how many of these are pensioners. [166082] Chris Pond: :Key figures on the progress of conversion to Direct Payment are available in the Library, updated every four weeks. Post Office Limited have advised that as at 31 March 2004 over 2.1 million Post Office card accounts had been opened. The Post Office does not break these figures down into individual benefit groups therefore specific data for pensioners is not available. The number of Department for Work and Pensions benefit accounts being paid into a Post Office card account as at 20 March 2004 is 679,355 of which 172,345 are Retirement Pension accounts. As many customers have already provided their account details it is expected that the figures for Direct Payment into Post Office card accounts will quickly rise, as customers existing methods of payment expire, and they move over to payment being made direct into their nominated account.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

420 c444-5W;420 c444W; 166011;166012;166082

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Applications Pensioners Recipients Social security benefits Post office card account Automated credit transfer

Link

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