DWP and HMRC asking claimants to change from post office accounts to bank/building society/credit union account

From the guidance:

There have been reports that customers and representative organisations have concerns about the authenticity of letters being issued by the department asking for bank account details. Social media reports and other websites suggesting the freephone number in the letter is a ‘scam’ are inaccurate as a DWP dedicated contact centre has been set up to deal with calls to the number 0800 085 7133. It is important that customers, and representative organisations who have concerns are re-assured that this - and only this - number is genuine.

Ok, I know this is authentic, but if you send out scammy-looking letters and refuse to list your contact number on your official website, then you should expect people to be concerned about a scam.

The banking world has changed since Post Office card account was first introduced. There are less barriers to prevent those on benefits from using bank accounts, including the recent introduction of fee-free basic banking for people who were previously unable to open a bank account.

Tell that to our homeless client who was told by JCP that he “must” switch from the PO to a bank, but was unable to find a single bank in his town who would accept his available evidence of ID as being sufficient to open a basic account.

What do customers need to do? ...

They don’t “need” to do anything, as far as I can see? Government may “expect” people to use a bank account, but why are they compelled to do so?

I can fully understand why someone who refused to open an account without good reason might be found to be making himself more unemployable and so be in breach of a claimant commitment. But I have concerns about these “nudging” suggestions, which inevitably get interpreted by DWP staff as “rules”, and seem to be put in place more for the convenience of government than for the best interests of citizens.

Reading the Oct touchbase this is rearing its ugly head again

“DWP is working with a small number of people who use Post Office card accounts to find out:

• how people who use these accounts can be supported
• if any people using these accounts can move to a bank, building society or credit union account”

It caused a right farrago last time.