Relief as Post Office card account saved
The potential closure of more post offices has been avoided after the Post Office Card Account (POCA) was renewed.
The POCA, which pays benefits and pensions directly into the bank accounts of four million people in the UK, was under threat after the Government announced in 2006 that there would be a successor to the system.
But a tender process to find a successor was cancelled on Wednesday and the new contract was awarded to the Post Office.
The National Federation of Sub Post Masters had warned 3,000 post offices could close if the contract was lost.
The news came as a relief to Bourne sub-postmistress Elain Wells, who petitioned for the POCA to be retained.
She said: "We were not confident at all before the decision was made.
"The Government had taken so long to make a decision we had no idea whatsoever what was going to happen.
"We took hundreds and hundreds of signatures over the last few months and then we stepped up the campaign two weeks ago.
"We were not going to be one of those massively affected because we are quite a large office but it was more about a show of solidarity for smaller offices."
Small businesses across the county will also profit from post offices retaining the POCA.
David Dexter, Lincolnshire chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: "Many convenience stores in towns and villages operate alongside a post office.
"The Post Office has an unrivalled geographical spread, particularly in rural areas, and awarding the contract to it will help save thousands of post offices, businesses and jobs."
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Weather for Spalding
Friday 25 May 2012
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Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
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Temperature: 12 C to 20 C
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