Post offices - securing their future - Business and Enterprise Committee Contents

Supplementary memorandum submitted by the NfSP

COMBI TILL

  A Combi is a Post Office counter serving position which is attached to a retail counter, allowing both Post Office and retail transactions. The Combi has a safe, is alarmed, has a flip top till, a date stamp, and scales. It is able to carry out the overwhelming majority of Post Office services.

  Combis are more customer friendly, as they operate as open plan, instead of the traditional glass fronted "fortress" counter, and allow for provision of Post Office services outside of core Post Office hours on the subpostmasters' retail side.

  Combis also offer the potential for subpostmasters to cut their staff overheads by using the Combi as the sole position for both their Post Office and retail side during quiet periods of the day. Post Office Ltd states that subpostmasters also report slightly fewer security issues with Combis than with conventional Post Office serving positions.

  (Please find attached for information three images of Combis supplied by POL) (not printed here)

POST OFFICE SERVICES

  The overwhelming majority of Post Office services are available at every post office across the UK. These include:

  Postal services, including

— Standard 1st and 2nd class post

— Overseas postage

— Recorded delivery

— Express postal services

— Philatelic

— Redirection

  Licences, including

— Fishing and game licences

  Pensions and benefits, including

— Post Office card account

— Exceptions (cheque) service

  Money management, including

— Personal banking

— MoneyGram cash transfers

— Postal Orders

— Savings stamps

— Christmas Club

  Bill payment for a range of products, including

— Telephone, cable TV*

— Gas, electricity, water*

— Mail order*

— Council tax*

— Council/housing association rent*

— Inland Revenue self assessment bills*

— Insurance*

  Financial services products, including

— Credit card

— Personal loans

— Post Office Instant Saver

— ISAs

— Growth Bonds

— Child Trust Fund

— Access to National Savings and Investments products

  Insurance products, including

— Car insurance

— Home insurance

— Travel insurance

— Life insurance

— Lifestyle Protection

— Over 50's Life Cover

— Van insurance

— Motorcycle insurance

— Pet insurance

  Business services, including

— Business banking services

— Cash collection service

— Post Office payout

  Telephony

— Homephone

— Broadband

— Phonecards

— Mobile top-ups

  Travel, including

— Bureau de Change

  Availability depends on agreement with supplier

  In addition to the council tax and rent services listed above under "Bill Payment", other local authority transactions such as social services, transport, etc. are available as agreed with each local authority.

  According to Post Office Ltd, the following services are available at a limited number of Post Office branches (with numbers of branches listed):

—  Paystation	10,896

  (For information—Paystation is a piece of kit which enables all Post Office bill payment transactions to be carried out on subpostmasters' retail side, thereby increasing the availability of the service outside of core Post Office hours)

—  Bureau de change—On Demand	1,759
—  Bureau Euro Dollar	1,133
—  Bureau FR Euro Dollar	1,473
—  Bureau Euro	3,373
—  Vehicle and driving licence applications (DVLA)	4,995
—  Travel Insurance	8,467
—  Passport applications and check and send	2,666
—  European Health Insurance Card
—  Lottery	4,468
—  Post Office ATM	2,562
—  Driving licence checking	749
—  Local Collect
—  Identity checking
27 April 2009

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Prepared 7 July 2009