Post offices closures
Post Offices are a vital lifeline for many older people and it is important that older people have their say on what happens in local communities.
What is being proposed?
The Post Office will close a maximum of 2500 Post Offices across the UK from both urban and rural areas. 500 of these will be become Outreach services. The aim of the closure programme is to reduce the number of Post Offices which are currently making losses.
In October 2007, the public consultation period started for the proposed closure of 2500 Post Offices across the UK. Between now and October 2008, 47 Area Plans will be published. These are Post Office Ltd's proposals for which Post Offices should be closed. The Area Plans will also include information on what other Post Offices are available in the area; and any substitute services available. The public will then have 6 weeks to comment on the plans before a final decision is made.
Another burden for older people
The closure of a local Post Office isn't just an inconvenience to older people. It can mean that people face a difficult or an unsafe journey to pay bills and withdraw their pension. Older people may not be able to pay bills on time, their safety may be at risk, or at best they face longer queues when they eventually get there.
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What you can do
It is inevitable that there will be some closures but local knowledge and hard evidence will be important to make your case.
- Write individual letters showing local knowledge and personal experience.
- Examine the facts presented for closure closely.
- Find out the views of the local post office staff;how do they help older people in the community?
- Look closely at the journeys that will have to be made to alternative branches; are the demographics used in the case for closure accurate and comprehensive?
- Find out what plans are in place to make nearby branches able to cope with increased demand.
- Make sure the timetable for consultation has been followed exactly.
- Enlist the help of the media, locally elected representatives and a local celebrity; but only in conjunction with a detailed and well documented case;
- Use evidence gathered to campaign for a suitable replacement, for example, a mobile post office service.
Tell us about your campaign.
If you are campaigning against post office closures in your area, let us know how your campaign is going. Contact the campaigns team on campaigns@helptheaged.org.uk or 0207 239 1930.
Further information
