Doesn't this just show the problems of direct payment?
I'm paid monthly and I get a payslip - why shouldn't benefit claimants get the same?
I once saw the admin costs of payment - it was something like £1.60 for a giro, 80p for an order book slip, and 0.1p for an electronic transfer. Considerable incentive for the changeover that has now happened in such an imposing manner causing so much upset to so many very vulnerable people.
Travelling to hospital is bad enough, but being on a low income and not sure how you're going to pay and/or get a refund, is really quite disgraceful.
I really can't see why monthly statements can't be issued, in however an abbreviated form.
(It would also give the DWP the chance to tell their claimants to inform about changes of circumstance and thereby hopefully avoid overpayments, although it would also let back in a number of overpayment recoveries which could currently be successfully defended by the abolition of order books and their yellow pages)
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