The National Federation of SubPostmasters has launched a national petition which calls upon the Government to reverse its decision to end support for the Post Office Card Account.

All 14,500 Post Offices in the UK have received copies of the petition, which is available for customers to sign to add their voice to the Federation’s campaign against the Government’s decision to axe POCA.

Used by 4.3 million people, the POCA is the only Post Office based option for the receipt of state pension and benefits. The Federation believes that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is already phasing out the card account ahead of its planned withdrawal in 2010, denying customers a choice in how they access their benefit payments and forcing them to receive them through a bank account, which for many is unsuitable.

The Federation fears that the withdrawal of the card account will force the closure of thousands of Post Offices across the country, which in turn will undermine communities across Britain and adversely affect the wellbeing of many individuals, particularly those in vulnerable or finanically excluded groups.

The campaign is backed by the Mail on Sunday, by Parliament’s All Party Group for Sub Post Offices, and by organisations including the National Federation of Women’s Institutes, Help The Aged and the National Pensioners Convention.

We request that completed forms are sent into Federation Headquarters on a regular basis, in order to enable us to keep track of the total number of signatories. Forms should be sent to -

National Federation of SubPostmasters, Evelyn House, 22 Windlesham Gardens, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 5AZ.

The petition will run until the end of September 2006. Please ensure that all completed petition forms are sent to the above address by this date. 

Click here to download a copy of the petition. Click here to download a Welsh language version. bnbn