Memorandum submitted by the Ministry of
Defence
BFPO
The MOD operates a mail network to personnel
in Northern Ireland and overseas through the BFPO and its overseas
based Forces Post Offices (FPO). Anyone wishing to send letters
or parcels to Armed Forces personnel serving overseas in areas
serviced by the BFPO will use Post Office facilities as a conduit
into the BFPO network. It may be worth noting that between 1 March
2008 and 28 February 2009 over 500,000 bags
of mail were despatched overseas by BFPO, the vast majority of
which would have been posted via post boxes and Post Office counters.
The BFPO acts as an extension of the Royal Mail Group (RMG) and
where appropriate FPOs have adopted RMG's services, products and
carriage policies. Thus Premium Savings Bonds, National Savings
Warrants and National Savings Investment Accounts can all be accessed
through FPOs and BFPO counters can cash Government issued cheques
such as Families Tax Credits and Income Tax Refunds, although
this facility is seldom used.
The BFPO is working with the Post Office to
upgrade the service provided by the FPOs by installing a new point
of sale computer system, known as Horizon Essential. The system
should provide access to a greater range of products through the
Government Services Account Card but the list of benefits that
will be accessible has yet to be agreed.
SPVA
There are three parts of the Agency's business
to which the provision of Post Offices services are, or might
potentially be applied; Armed Forces Pay, benefits under the Armed
Forces Pensions Scheme (AFPS) and the War Pension Scheme (WPS).
Serving personnel and veterans currently receive pay and AFPS
benefits direct into a bank account and no provision is planned
to make such payments via Post Offices. However, War Pensioners,
a number of whom do not have access to a bank account, can receive
payment through a Post Office card account.
The Agency is working closely with the Department
of Work and Pensions to explore the feasibility of delivering
more services to War Pensioners via Post Offices.
Apart from the proximity or otherwise of Post
Offices to the Agency's customers (whether they be serving Service
people or veterans), the only constraints are that we want to
deliver services which achieve value for money while providing
the best customer service. It is of note that previous facilities
for veterans to draw AFPS benefits from the Post Office were withdrawn
on grounds of cost.
March 2009
| 
