MP Ross helps pensioner retrieve benefits
Moray MP Douglas Ross has revealed that he recently intervened to help a local man access his state pension using his new Government payment card, as the constituent’s local shop did not know how to use it.
Commenting, Douglas said: “An elderly constituent came to see me because he could not access his state pension using his new payment card. He tried to use it at his local convenience store, but no-one knew how to help him and he was left without any money.
“It transpired that he had used his old payment card at his local shop for getting his pensions out, but the cards were phased out at about the same time as he was admitted to hospital where he remained for several weeks, meaning nothing was sorted out for him.
“A neighbour had tried to open a Post Office account for him, but there were issues with that, so when my constituent was released from hospital, he was not able to access his pension and visited me at my constituency office to see if I could help.
“I contacted the DWP to explain the problem to them and they were extremely helpful, explaining that the pension payments were in the account, and that the card should work without any problem, and it was possibly a problem at the point of sale.
Douglas added: “I really welcome the fact that they went the extra mile and phoned my constituent’s neighbour to give step-by-step instructions to pass on to the shop, who were grateful for the advice and then able to resolve the problem, as they would not have been able to access the system otherwise.
“I am however concerned that other people in Moray might have found themselves in the same predicament with their new payment cards, so I would urge them to contact me and I will get in touch with the DWP to ensure they can access their benefits.”