The Tories lied about using the Post Office to provide government services 

Last Updated: November 17, 2016By
[Image: PA.]

[Image: PA.]

Back when the Royal Mail was split from the Post Office and sold off, the Tories said they would turn post offices into “front offices” for government services.

In fact, government services are being withdrawn from the Post Office – only last week, Mrs Mike received a letter from the DWP, demanding that she provide bank account information so it would not have to pay her ESA and DLA into a Post Office account any more.

This lends credibility to the other claims in Gareth Thomas’s article – and is also more evidence that the UK’s Tory government lies to the electorate on a regular basis.

If you are a UK citizen, what are you going to do about it? Let the Tories have their way with you?

Among the lessons of political events this year is the fact that we cannot continue to run down public services, industries and employment standards without paying the cost.

Yet this is exactly what is happening with the Post Office. In 2010 the government split it off from the profitable Royal Mail business to pave the way for privatisation without any plan for its long-term future.

Some of the big financial institutions who pocketed big profits from this were very happy. The rest of us are now paying the price as sixty of the Post Office’s flagship branches across the country are being closed for good this year with more likely to follow.

Source: The Post Office is being run down by the Government and we are paying the price – Gareth Thomas MP – Mirror Online

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11 Comments

  1. joanna November 17, 2016 at 4:25 am - Reply

    You keep asking “what are we going to do about it” Like we have any say?
    There is nothing we can do about it, don’t you think that our priority, would have been to protect all of those poor souls, from dying because of IDS? Of course we would!

    Giving people false hope, in thinking that they can change government actions, puts the blame for everything, onto the very people who are suffering the most. The Tories have got us where they want us, in a weakened state!
    Gone are the days when the government actually served the people.

    You should say no to the DWP, they have to make sure you get payments no matter what.

    • Mike Sivier November 17, 2016 at 11:46 am - Reply

      You do have a say. You can act.
      And individuals, or indeed small groups, can make a difference.
      Your comment is a result of a phenomenon known as “conditioned helplessness”; you’ve been told – and not necessarily by those in authority, but by people you know and trust – that there’s nothing to be done, so you don’t even bother to find out for yourself.
      At the end of the day, the Conservative Party is only able to do what it does because enough people voted for them to do it. How many people did you tell about the real consequences of its actions, before the last general election? How many did you inform about the effects on them of their Tory vote?
      It does make a difference.

      • joanna November 17, 2016 at 12:42 pm - Reply

        I’m sorry I didn’t mean to sound curt, A dentist has broken a healthy tooth whilst extracting a bad on and I am in agony! I have already had 4 courses of antibiotics and now not even the strong painkillers I usually take are even touching the pain.

      • Jim Round November 17, 2016 at 2:57 pm - Reply

        Joanne is right, it is a losing battle.
        My comment before the 2015 General Election that up and down the country, people were oblivious to the deaths of the disabled, they still are, note how the news has now faded away.
        Society will take decades, maybe even over a century, to realise what big mistakes have been made over the past 60 years.
        I knew that Trump would win, there would be a vote to leave the European and and the Tories would be elected.
        All gained from travelling up, down, left and right, all over Britain.
        If there is a snap election, I hate to say that the Tories will win.

  2. Rupert Mitchell (@rupert_rrl) November 17, 2016 at 8:55 am - Reply

    Does any party really have the legal (to say nothing of the moral) right to sell of or close down nationally owned assets? It is time that the ordinary people of this country woke up and took this government to task.

  3. Sanjit November 17, 2016 at 11:45 am - Reply

    But what can welfare recipients do, if they don’t comply, they will not receive payment. Over a barrel again.

  4. Stu November 17, 2016 at 5:19 pm - Reply

    Personally I believe that this is a commercial decision by Spanish owned Santander who own the Post Office banking division.
    They have been “trimming the fat” in their UK business for a while now, withdrawing services and increasing charges.

    But then again, I could be wrong !

  5. Barry Davies November 17, 2016 at 6:35 pm - Reply

    I thought most of the larger post offices were now more likely to be alcoholic substance provision outlets, and the smaller ones to be found at the back of WHSmiths or the local corner shop.

  6. casalealex November 17, 2016 at 9:22 pm - Reply

    “One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.” Carl Sagan

  7. shawn November 18, 2016 at 12:43 am - Reply

    Hi Mike, Obviously, I’ve not seen the letter you refer, plus this government believes in constant change so almost anything is possible eventually, but received a letter that appears similar to what you describe about 3 month ago. However, after re-rereading it I noted it was a request presented as an enforceable demand, so I ignored it. As of today I’ve not heard anymore about its ‘demands’. That noted, it makes sense that the next would be to send out enforcement letters, so it could I’ll get a similar letter soon. Lastly, the must get a bank account as opposed to you should does not alter the dishonesty of the this government.

  8. Jessie November 19, 2016 at 12:46 pm - Reply

    While it is worded in such a way to imply you have to get a bank account, it only really says that that is what they now want you to do. This is because it is cheaper and more convenient for them, but you don’t have to do it.

    “Currently we pay your benefits or tax credits into a Post Office card account. But we now expect you to use a bank, building society or credit union account. Most people already do this… ”

    http://www.legalbeagles.info/forums/showthread.php?76382-%91Please-change-your-payment-account%92-letter-DWP

    Last year the DWP committed to a further contract with the Post Office card until 2021, and when challenged will admit that they know that there are some people who won’t be able to get a bank account and that there needs to be an alternative method.

    On Gov UK it says –
    “Benefits are usually paid straight into your bank, building society or credit union account – if you don’t have one you could get paid using a Post Office card account.”

    Ignore it and nothing will happen. The DWP attempt this sort of thing at times.

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