Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to increase the proportion of eligible people claiming Pension Credit.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We continue to maximise opportunities to raise awareness of Pension Credit which provides vital financial support to households on a low income. Our Pension Credit Communications campaign, ongoing since April 2022, has included advertising on national TV, newspapers, broadcast radio, on social media and via internet search engines as well as on screens in Post Offices and GP surgeries. We have also used sponsored advertising on targeted websites that pensioners, their family, and friends are likely to visit.
Our campaign messaging has highlighted that Pension Credit is a passport to a range of other help and benefits – including up to £900 in Cost of Living Payments.
The latest available figures show that there were more households receiving Pension Credit in May 2023 than in May 2022 – at the beginning of the campaign.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of removing DVLA services from the Post Office in March 2024 on (a) elderly people and (b) people without internet access.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Post Office Ltd currently provides a limited range of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) services and an extension to the current contract has been agreed, ensuring that DVLA services will be available at post offices until the end of March 2024.
The DVLA wants its customers to be able to access its services as quickly and as easily as possible and the role of front office counter services will form part of the considerations of future service offerings, utilising government agreements if necessary.
The vast majority of those licensing vehicles already do so online or via the DVLA’s automated telephone service, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The DVLA will continue to ensure that all customers are able to license their vehicles.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the DVLA is taking to help ensure that people without internet access are able to use their services following the end of its contract with the Post Office in March 2024.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Post Office Ltd currently provides a limited range of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) services and an extension to the current contract has been agreed, ensuring that DVLA services will be available at post offices until the end of March 2024.
The DVLA wants its customers to be able to access its services as quickly and as easily as possible and the role of front office counter services will form part of the considerations of future service offerings, utilising government agreements if necessary.
The vast majority of those licensing vehicles already do so online or via the DVLA’s automated telephone service, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The DVLA will continue to ensure that all customers are able to license their vehicles.
Asked by: David Duguid (Conservative - Banff and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the uptake of Pension Credit.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Our communications campaign has been running since April 2022 and Pension Credit applications were up by around 75% in the 12 months to May.
We continue advertising through national TV, newspapers and broadcast radio, on social media and digital information screens in Post Offices and GP surgeries across GB.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions her Department has had with trade unions on the (a) views and (b) experiences of postal workers following the reduction of opening hours at Royal Mail customer service points.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Discussions with Trade Unions on changes to working practices are an operational matter for Royal Mail as a private company. The Government does not have a role in Royal Mail’s operational or commercial decisions.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of some utility companies prohibiting payment of bills at high street banks and post offices on affected customers; and whether her Department is taking steps to help support people who do not have access to online and telephone banking to set up direct debits with their utility suppliers.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Supply Licence requires suppliers to offer a wide choice of payment methods and must include payment by cash and in advance through Pre-payment Metres. Some suppliers have stopped providing a Giro Payment slip on bills to encourage customers to switch to online or telephone banking, but these suppliers must provide a giro payment if requested in-line with their Supplier Licence Conditions.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the number of services and facilities that can be accessed from Post Offices.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
While publicly owned, Post Office operates at arm’s length from Government as a commercial business with its own Board. Government protects access to a range of key services, but Post Office has commercial freedom to adapt its services to meet the needs of its diverse customer base. Post Office continues to work with both the private and public sectors to identify new opportunities to deliver different services through its network.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of closures of Post Offices; and what steps they are taking to reverse this trend.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Government is committed to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Post Office network and has provided over £2.5 billion in funding to support the Post Office network over the past decade and is providing a further £335 million for the Post Office between 2022 and 2025.
The Post Office network is not in decline. As CEO Nick Read confirmed recently, the network is as large as it has been for about five years with over 11,600 branches. Government continues to monitor Post Office's network numbers and performance, and Post Office publishes an annual network report.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government why DVLA forms can no longer be accessed and processed through Post Offices; and what plans they have to change this.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Most Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) forms are currently available from Post Offices that offer DVLA services.
Post Office Ltd currently provides a limited range of DVLA services and an extension to the current contract has been agreed, ensuring that DVLA services will be available at post offices until the end of March 2024.
The DVLA wants its customers to be able to access its services as quickly and as easily as possible and the role of front office counter services will form part of the considerations of future service offerings, utilising government agreements if necessary.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2023 to Question 197616 on Post Offices, whether her Department has (a) made an assessment of and (b) had discussions with relevant stakeholders on the future of the Crown Post Office branch in Great Underbank Stockport.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Government sets the parameters for Post Office to operate in and asks its management to be responsible for running the company day-to-day. Post Office therefore has the freedom to make commercial decisions regarding the composition of its network, providing it fulfils the Government-set access criteria, which ensure that, for example, 99% of the UK population lives within three miles of a post office.
Matters relating to individual post office branches are the responsibility of Post Office, not the Department for Business and Trade.