Concern for Post Office Future

Highlighting a debate about to take place today (Monday) in the UK Parliament on the future of the Post Office Card Account, Strathaven based MSP, Linda Fabiani, has voiced her concerns at the continued threat to post office services.

Ms Fabiani referred to research published by Age Concern which shows that a decision not to award the tender to the Post Office would have a devastating impact on the Post Office network and undermine the UK Government’s own financial inclusion objectives.

Ms Fabiani said:

”The Post Office has served our communities for generations and is part and parcel of the fabric of our society and if this contract is lost from the post office then we are surely seeing the deliberate demise of this community based institution.

“Our concerns must not only be for the potential loss of jobs and closure of post offices but for the many customers for whom the post office has been a constant source of service and information throughout their lives. It has never been just another consumer shop but has always been viewed as a public service, it is sad to see this ethos being constantly eroded in recent years.

”The Post Office Card Account primarily caters for elderly people and those on low incomes in rural or deprived urban areas who do not have the means to access services elsewhere and we have to be concerned it would leave huge numbers of people financially and socially excluded.

”The Post Office is a lifeline service and it is hugely disappointing  that the threats to its future appear undiminished.”