Post office bill that’s worth every penny

WHAT a wonderful Christmas present for older people across the country this week as the Government announced it will spend £160 million safeguarding village post offices facing closure. Another £210 million will be spent modernising the 11,600 branches over the next three years.

The fact is, post offices don’t just provide stamps. In isolated areas of the country, going to the post office serves a social function as well as a practical one: it gives people a reason to get up in the morning, a focus, a guarantee of meeting and talking with someone. And in many villages, the post office is the only place that offers all this with any reliability.

The closure of rural branches would have disproportionately affected older people, the very group we should be trying to help and provide with better opportunities for social interaction and support — they’re less likely to have their own transport and more likely to have difficulties with mobility, and so are already at risk of isolation.

They are also frequently reliant on the local post office for their daily groceries.

Yes, the £370 million package is a lot of money. But any discussion about the cost-effectiveness of the rural post office network needs to take into account the invaluable social service they provide, too.

Indeed, researchers have suggested that in areas where there are good community networks, suicide is 27 per cent lower than would be expected for comparable areas with limited opportunities for social interaction.

A facility that gets people out of the house, where they can shop, meet people and feel part of a community, should be cherished and I’m delighted that the Government has finally realised this.