Post Office closures put pensioners at risk

05/12/2007

Despite countrywide protests, the closure of Post Offices is still going ahead - and the transfer of services to WH Smiths has raised some serious concerns over both accessibility and financial security for older people.

WH Smiths is legally obliged to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) as well as Health and Safety regulations - but not all post office counters will be on the ground floor and lifts are sometimes inadequate.

When questioned by the National Pensioners Convention recently, Post Office Minister Pat McFadden said that if an older person could not get to another floor then a member of Smiths' staff would come down to them.

Very helpful indeed - but if the person in question needs to withdraw their pension they would then have to tell that staff member their secret security PIN number...