will post office closures exclude people from financial services?

Question

answers in 300 to 500 words with references

Answer 1

DO YOUR OWN HOMEWORK

Answer 2

300 words - you are an optimist.
YES

Urban dwellers suffer just as much from the closure of local post offices as those living in more isolated rural areas, a report shows.

Over the past two years, more than eight urban post offices have closed for every one rural office, and one in six urban closures took place in a deprived area. Many urban post offices are lifelines in deprived parts of cities, the authors say. "In urban areas, post office closures deal a double blow," says Guy Rubin, senior researcher at the New Economics Foundation (NEF) which conducted the study.

"They are not only an anchor for the local community but also for local enterprise. Their closure can trigger a "tipping point" leading to a downward cycle that leaves ghost communities with very few shops and services left."
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The research comes as the Government prepares to release a statement on the future of Britain's post office network. Thousands of loss-making post offices, particularly in rural areas, are expected to be closed under a restructuring scheme that will be announced by Post Office minister Jim Fitzpatrick before Christmas.

However, the NEF report says that many post offices in urban deprived areas could also close because of the threatened withdrawal of the Post Office Card Account (POCA), which allows people to get their benefits through post office counters.

Urban postmasters in deprived areas desperately need the revenue from these accounts, which is worth £403 a month to them compared with a national average of £249.

The NEF report said that the phasing out of the account could be "the final nail in the coffin" for many offices. The POCA is due to be phased out in 2010, although Mr Fitzpatrick has said it will be replaced in some form.

Colin Baker, general secretary of the National Federation of Subpostmasters (NFSP), said the research showed that the Government needs to provide ongoing financial support to the non-commercial parts of the post office network because of the social and economic service the post office provides.

Answer 3

yes it will, already banks are thinking of charging you if you aint got a balance of a grand in your account,so they dont want them,its right out of order