"anneliese.dodds.mp@parliament.uk
Fri, 1 Apr at 20:27
----- Forwarded message -----
From: Gerard Hales
To: moneybox@bbc.co.uk
Sent: Friday, 1 April 2022, 20:25:14 BST
Subject: Fw: Problems with Closing Post Office Savings to Benefit Payments AND 3Dsecure
Dear MB
I hope you understand that Cashplus offered a debit card I could use online (although the requirement to have a mobile phone in order to use 3DSecure has increasingly become an issue, even with PayPal), also keeping my Post Office Savings Acc. secure off-line, this and the ability to set up and manage direct debits easily were the main benefits, now I must pay for the privilege of receiving the most basic services. Thank you.
Gerard Hales
P.S The whole, “force you to own a mobile phone” issue is becoming worse and worse. I have a landline and Ethernet to my P.C. Why would I pay more for another service I don’t want? We are being strong-armed.
----- Forwarded message -----
Sent: Friday, 1 April 2022, 20:11:37 BST
Subject: Problems with Closing Post Office Savings to Benefit Payments AND 3Dsecure
Dear All
I refuse to own a mobile so I can’t use 3DSecure and even PayPal is iffy now, this is why I often call to place orders.
The Post Office won’t recieve benefit payments anymore so millions are having to move accounts. Cashplus charge a fortune for transfers and transactions, VISA at the Co-Op also requires 3DSecure. None of the three are signed up to any kind of switching service so there is no benefit to changing acc. (as I am doing to the Co-Op), it’s outrageous, we are being targeted by the big financial players! This is genocide!
Nb. The Job Centre called me in to verify my identity when I changed my recipient bank for U.C benefits. I will be forced to see them again when I change from Cashplus to the Co-Op (Cashplus is now unworkable as a day-to-day because of the expense of transferring money, transactions and accessing cash -not issues when my Post Office Savings Acc. was my benefit recipient-). Outrageous!!! I hope you cover this BBC. Happy to give you more information or be interviewed (I had one of the old Post Office benefit recipient acc.s, myself, and many others, simply switched to a savings acc. when those acc.s were closed). This suggests the machinations of private interests, it’s a “fire sale” of services at the expense of the people. No benefit for the benefit recipients only those with pre-existing capital are rewarded, what a disgusting attack on the vulnerable, it’s a mugging on the public purse. Thank you.
Gerard Hales"
Nb. This also means I am having to transfer all my direct debits “manually” (as it were), because none of the three institutions (Post Office, Cashplus and Co-Op Bank), are signed up to the switching service, thus we do all the spade work too (but you mustn’t call it that)!
Furthermore think of the number of people with disabilities affected by this who are literally being pushed around in order to confirm their identities (whilst the faceless money-movers retain their anonymity)! Many have difficulty managing their money, I myself use an advocacy service because I have a stress-related mental health condition! Clearly the issue of the negative effect on the physical and/or mental health of those affected was not taken into consideration by any of the politicians, regulators or financial institutions concerned when the decision was being made to allow the, increasingly privatised (see post below), Post Office to behave this way.
Also, with reference to the “Royal Mail”, as was, does it not seem strange that Charles Windsor did not show any interest in protecting the institution thus preserving it for the people? Makes me wonder just who was (and still is), holding which knife to the throats of our dear monarchy.
I have reported my concerns to the Financial Conduct Authority, I will let you know their response. Prior to contacting the Financial Ombudsman I have also made complaint to the Post Office.
