Rhondda-based MEP Jill Evans organised a well-attended public meeting on Wednesday (13th September) in Ystrad Pensioners Hall to discuss the end of the Post Office Card Account and its affect on the future of community post offices. She spoke at the meeting alongside Keith Richards, Wales Executive Officer of the UK Federation of Sub Postmasters. Jill Evans said:

“The Government has announced its intention to scrap the Post Office Card Account in 2010 and make people use banks. If this happens, benefit claimants and pensioners will not be able to collect their money at local post offices. This cut will severely affect the 16,300 people in the Rhondda who use the Card Account – 10,800 on benefits and 5,500 retirement pensioners.

“People at the meeting were rightly furious with these scandalous proposals. We’ve already lost 4 Rhondda post offices. The 28 remaining have since lost key services such as television licence stamps, vehicle tax and will soon lose their passport work. Under this government, the future of post offices looks bleak. As more close, people will have to travel farther to the nearest bank or be forced to use cash points which charge £1.50 to get their own money! It makes no sense for Labour to do this, other than save money to spend on more wars.

“I will continue to campaign for community post offices. Plaid Cymru has thousands of signatures on our petition. I urge those who want to save these services to sign the petition and join the lobby of Parliament on the 18th of October which is being organised by the Federation of Sub Postmasters."

Diwedd/End.