Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost is to the Government for each transaction for (a) pension payments and (b) benefit payments paid into a (i) Post Office card account, (ii) bank account and (iii) simple payment scheme.

The cost to Government for making payments into a Post Office Card Account are £0.50, into a bank account £0.04497 and by Simple Payment £3.60. These costs are applicable to both pension and benefit payments.