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Thousands fear isolation if rural post offices are forced to close.
Thousands of pensioners risk being cut off from their community
unless the Government steps in to rescue rural post offices, warns a
new report published today by Age Concern.
New findings for the charity show that a whopping 99% of older
people in rural areas consider their local post office to be “a
lifeline”, with over half (56%) of over-60s in the
countryside fearing that post office closures would leave them more
isolated.
The report reveals that rural post offices provide much more than
just a postal service to older people. Many pensioners use their post
office as a ‘one-stop shop’ to access their pension and benefits, pay
their bills, get advice and information, and meet and socialise with
others. Closures could leave many older people increasingly financially
and socially excluded.
- 76% of older people are worried about losing essential services if their post office is forced to close
- 73% feel that they wouldn’t be able to access similar services in their local area
- 88% would have to make special travel arrangements to reach alternative services
Age Concern is calling on the Government to renew the subsidy of
rural post offices as part of a more joined-up, imaginative approach to
delivering essential local services. ( footnote 6) As part of its
‘Stamped Out?’ campaign, the charity kick-started a public consultation
on the future of rural post offices earlier this summer to bring to
light the concerns of older people, the heaviest users of post offices.
“The post office acts as a networking centre, allowing all villagers
to meet, pass on news and information… The post office provides me
daily with bread, milk and other basics.”
“My husband is not able to use public transport and either depends
on me to ferry him around or walks to the post office. The people there
are his only contact with anyone until I come home from work and it
pulls him out of depression.”
“It gives a reason to go out. If you don’t have a reason to go out
you become isolated in your own home and become lonely and depressed.”
“Our post office is the centre of our village activity and has
retained that aspect of local service that is not available elsewhere
in our community.”
The report calls on the Government to urgently develop a positive,
coherent and sustainable rural strategy. Only by committing to a
continuation of the rural subsidy and ensuring that essential services
can be accessed locally will the Government ease the anxiety of
thousands of older people in rural areas.
Age Concern’s
Director General, Gordon Lishman, said: “The message from older people
couldn’t be clearer. Rural post offices play a vital role in the
community which stretches far beyond providing a postal service.
“The Government must stop dragging its heels on the future of rural
post offices. If it fails to renew the subsidy, thousands of post
offices could be forced to close down and thousands more vulnerable
older people could be cut off from their local community. The
Government must consider social as well as commercial factors when
making its decision.
“We are urging the Government to listen to the views of those who
depend on rural post offices. As a matter of urgency, the subsidy must
be renewed to ensure that all essential local services, including post
office services, can be accessed by older people living in rural areas.”
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