Older people’s lobby group welcomes cheque consultation

OLDER people’s lobby group, the Age Sector Platform (ASP), has welcomed the recent announcement made by the Payments Council in which it revealed plans to abandon the phasing out of cheques by 2018.
By The Newsroom
Published 28th Jul 2011, 10:03 BST

ASP, who worked with the Payments Council over the last few years to ensure the opinions of older people were taken into account, has described the process as ‘authentic and truly consultative.’

Bill Carson, Chair of ASP, commented: “We are delighted that the Payments Council has taken on board the issues of concern raised by older people, and other groups, in relation to the phasing out of cheques. The protection of cheques will be of great relief to many older people, who use them on a regular basis to pay bills by post, pay tradesmen or send gifts to grandchildren.”

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“Although cheques appear to be staying for the foreseeable future, some shops and businesses currently do not accept them as a method of payment.

“If this trend continues, the future of cheques and their viability could potentially be questioned again. This is something that we would not like to see happen as for many older people unable to leave their home; cheques remain an essential tool in helping them to pay their bills safely.”