Meeting in the main hall of the Saltdean Community Centre, on the SECOND Thursday of the month at 10 am

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• Please scroll down for important information about payment of pensions
  
  
• Committee Meetings
  First Thursday 10 am

IMPORTANT - Payment of Pensions

Saltdean Oval WI is just one of the family of Women's Institutes in England and Wales. The National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFL) deals not only
with overall administration of the movement but just as importantly keeps a watching brief on many aspects of day-to-day life and problems faced in both urban and rural communities. In this context we at Saltdean have recently received comments from NFWI regarding the new arrangements for the electronic payment of benefits -pensions, income support etc. That
will be coming on stream gradually from April 2003 .

If you are currently been paid by order book or Giro your benefits agency will write to you to explain these arrangements and the three options offered to enable you to obtain your money.

They are:-
Bank or Building Society ordinary current account
Bank or Building Society basic or starter account
A new card account at the Post Office

NFWI is concerned that recipients will not receive full and impartial information about these options and they say :-

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Advise people to think carefully before responding to any letters from their benefits agencies, and tell them they can opt to be paid via a Post Office Card Account if they would prefer that-
If people decide they want to be paid via a bank account, urge them to choose an account that is accessible at Post Offices and use that account at the local Post Office as much as possible.

Test the Government's stated commitment to free choice by phoning the number
given to request payment by Card Account -note the date and time and name
of the person at the other end of the phone, and let your post mistress/post master know or contact Postwatch at 28 Grosvenor Gardens London SW1 tel. 08456013261 if anything is said to discourage people from opening Card Accounts.

You could also protest at the complicated arrangements for opening a Card Account for example by returning forms without giving bank account details and with the words 'Post Office"Card Account pIease!' in big bold letters.
Support campaigns organised by sub-postmasters and postmistresses.

Contact your MP to voice your concerns at the situation.

REMEMBER- IF YOU DON'T USE YOUR POST OFFICE YOU WILL LOSE IT