Post Office accounts glitch fixed
This story makes clear the real benefit of access to cash and wider financial support provided by Post Offices. Not very exceptional in terms of the core of the story (ie thing broken got fixed) it does interestingly reveal however the scale of support offered to Post Office users in terms of access to banking services:
A computer problem which left up to 3.3 million Post Office account holders unable to access their savings through pin pad machines has now been resolved, the company said.
All 11,820 branches remained open with customers still able to withdraw cash from any of the Post Office’s 2,000 ATMs, which were unaffected by the problem.
Its sometimes all too easy to forget amidst the upset caused when the network is reduced just how extensive the network still is and the important role it plays for many rural service recipients. Its also all too easy to dismiss the importance of services like this in the internet era, until we think through just how many individuals in communities suffer from digital exclusion and how many more just don’t get on with electronic banking. All of which reinforces the importance of making sure a Post Office near you doesn’t close soon.