POST OFFICE BENEFITS: MINISTERS HAVE LET DOWN DISABLED AND TAXPAYERS – CABLE
2.53.06pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 27th May 2003
Dr Vincent Cable MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow DTI Secretary, has written to Cabinet Ministers Patricia Hewitt and Andrew Smith, to demand an explanation for the roll-out of a deficient "PIN-pad" system in Post Offices.
The Post Office has admitted that it knew its system for the payment of benefits by direct credit transfer would not be fully accessible to disabled customers from the outset.
Dr Cable said: "Despite the Government's taunts that serious concerns about this system were unfounded, it is clear that it is still totally inadequate."
"The Government gave a clear undertaking that this system would not be introduced until it proved to be reliable and robust and gave a high quality service to customers. But disabled people, some of whom will be trying to use this system to collect tax credits, have been let down.
Many people with visual and physical disabilities cannot use the pin-pad system.
"It is essential to find out how quickly this can be put right and how much more money taxpayers are going to have to shell out in order to fix it. The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry should own up to this mistake and make arrangements to put it right."
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