DIRECT
PAYMENTS: YOUR COMMENTS
A Holywood man says
I have filled out all the forms to open a Post Office account. I
was wondering why it was taking so long for them to clear this and
set up the account. It turns out that the Post Office have spelt
my name wrong on the forms and have set up an account in another
name for me! They say that there is nothing they can do about this
now!
A Lurgan woman
queries that it is more secure to use Direct Payment. She says,
I’m not sure that it is safer. Surely a relative could easily
gain access to an account.
A Carrick man commented
– The Chief Executive of the Social Security Agency referred
to pensioners coming out of the Post Office with hundreds of pounds
in their pockets. Who is he talking about!! I don’t know any
pensioners getting that much!
A Downpatrick caller
rang to ask if it’s sufficient to bring your savings
book to the Post Office as a form of ID – if you’re
not sure identification is acceptable, ring the helpline numbers
below.
But some people are
finding it easy! A pensioner rang the programme to say
– I have payments made into my bank. Direct Debit is a very
simple process. They send you out a form and it’s not as complicated
as some people are making out.
A Lisburn woman
says - what about people who are housebound and can’t get out
of the house to use plastic?
Coleraine listener
says some people have to get trusted friends to collect their
pensions if they are disabled or too infirm to collect it themselves.
How will the new card system affect these people?
A Cookstown
pensioner says - I could never remember a PIN number - I think
there will be problems if pensioners have to go to a hole in the
wall. A Belfast woman says - I’ll be 80 next year and I don’t drive.
If I had to go to a bank I’d need to take the bus and this would
be difficult, especially in winter. A few minutes takes me down
to the Post Office
Belfast woman
says - if you get your pensions from the bank, it’s only paid
monthly or every six months. At the start I was a month without
any money. I don’t think it’s suitable for pensioners to be paid
monthly
Bangor caller
wondered - at the moment your pension is paid into the bank
in 4 weeks arrears. Will this be rectified?
And a caller
rang to say - it appears that you can only open a bank account
if you have a driving licence or a passport. Many pensioners have
neither.
Your comments on Direct Payments
are welcome. Email
us with your views
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