Important changes to your Post Office card account
The contract we have with Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for Post Office card account will cease in November 2022. For HMRC customers there will be no further tax credits or child benefit payments made into Post Office card account after 30 November 2021.
DWP and HMRC are writing to POca customers to inform you of your options in the future.
Please do not ignore the letters. The information within them informs all POca customers of their options.
When will the change be happening?
All customers receiving payments will have been written to already. If you have not responded, DWP will write to you again before summer 2022. By that time, you need to have chosen how you would like to receive your payments from DWP and made arrangements for this.
If you are receiving payments from HMRC such as tax credits or child benefit, you will need to provide HMRC with alternative bank account details by 30 November 2021 to continue receiving your payments. We encourage you to do this now if you haven’t already so you don’t miss any payments once your Post Office card account closes. Please be advised that there is no Payment Exception Service for benefits received from HMRC.
What do I need to do now?
You will have three options to receive pensions and benefits payments in the future:
1. Use an existing account you have with a bank, building society or credit union
2. Open an account with a bank, building society or credit union
3. Payment Exceptions Service (does not apply to payments received from HMRC)
f you’re receiving payments from DWP and are unable to use or set up a bank, building society or credit union account, the government will get in contact with you about their new Payment Exception service. If you are receiving payments from HMRC you can contact HMRC’s helplines (0345 300 3900 for tax credits or 0300 200 3100 for child benefit) or use your Personal Tax Account to provide alternative account details.