Prestwich cash office consultation information - 10 June 2008
Prestwich cash office issue - the removal of the cash payment facility in the library payment office, cheques and cards will still be accepted.
Background and questions raised from meeting with elected members on Wednesday 14 May 2008 and attendance at Prestwich Local Area Partnership on 15 May 2008 - to feedback results of consultation at next Prestwich LAP meeting on 10 July 2008.
Any comments on this consultation document should be directed to either Mike Owen (Director of Finance and E-Government) or Ann Penn (Head of Revenues and Benefits), by 30 June 2008 headed “Prestwich Cash Office”.
Alternative cash payment facilities based in Prestwich Post Offices and shops.
Questions and responses
What is the current situation?
At present there are two dedicated cashier / customer enquiry agents employed by the Finance Division based at the Longfield Library in Prestwich who take all kinds of payments due to Bury Council, 5 days a week Monday to Friday 9a.m. to 4.30p.m.
In addition, library staff are able to accept payments by cheque, credit and debit cards during normal opening hours, including evenings and weekends. They are also able to respond to any enquiries on any council service, as they are a designated Customer Information Point (CIP).
What is the proposal?
The proposal is to remove the cash payment facility only, at the Prestwich library. Customers will still be able to access the full enquiry service during normal library opening hours, and make payment by cheque and debit and credit cards.
When / how else in Prestwich can people pay cash?
There are 18 Pay Point outlets including local Post Offices in the Prestwich area and 8 in Whitefield (some nearer to the Longfield than some of the Prestwich ones).
A strong consideration is to ask where are people getting their cash from to take to the Longfield payment office. If it is the Post Office, then they can pay the council tax and other bills due to the council at any Post Office free of charge, it is also more secure than taking the cash across town. If it from a bank, then they must have a bank account and can still pay by cheque at the Longfield library, or other alternative means.
One point which hasn’t been raised before is that it costs the Council in bank charges to handle and bank cash, and for security collections.
It is the lack of demand for the service which has led to this review.
The council is conscious that a major consultation exercise will take place on 12 June 2008 when the Post Office will share their plans for the future of Post Offices in the Greater Manchester area. With this in mind, the removal of the cash facility at Prestwich will be delayed until the impact of those closures can be assessed.
News update 10 June 2008
The list of Post Offices set to close are to be officially released today, but an article in the Manchester Evening News dated Monday 9 June 2008 shows that although there are five “at risk” in the Borough, none are in Prestwich , one is in Radcliffe, one in Greenmount, Tottington, one in Bury West, and two in Bury East.
Where’s the next nearest Council facility?
There is only one other cash office, in Bury Town Hall, most councils these days either don’t have any cash offices at all, or just one central one dealing mainly with reconciliation of cash and other back office functions.
Will the council provide free transport to get there for the people of Prestwich (at a convenient time for us)?
Not necessary, there are alternative cash payment points within walking distance of the Longfield Centre, many with opening hours longer than the current ones, including evenings and weekends
Why should people in Prestwich be inconvenienced more than other towns?
This is not the case, there is only one central cash office, based at the Town Hall in Bury, there are no other cash offices in outlying towns. The Town Hall cash office acts more as a back office processing function for all income to the Council. The cash facility was removed from Ramsbottom, Tottington and Whitefield some 4 years ago, and the non cash element retained within the libraries. An automatic telling machine (like a cash point in reverse) was installed at the Radcliffe main Revenues and Benefits office, but use of that facility has now dwindled as customers prefer alternative methods of payment, including the Post Office and Pay Point outlets.
How many people use it compared to other offices?
70% less than 5 years ago, and a fall of 5% over the last year. Just short of 37,000 transactions during 2007/08, many of which would be multiple transactions e.g. rent and council tax. The trend is expected to continue as additional methods of payment are taken up and alternative venues for payment are introduced, by customer demand. Any change in numbers comparing the first quarter of 2008/09 and the first quarter of 2007/08 will be reported to the Prestwich LAP meeting on 10 July 2008.
Does it provide fewer / worse services?
The Prestwich payment office in the library is the only one of its type to continue to take cash. It also offers a Council Information Point network, in line with all other libraries in the Borough.
Are the staff to be redeployed or fired?
There are two staff employed at present, the intention is for one to be retained as a member of library staff and the other one will be transferred to provide a council wide front office enquiry service
What additional or alternative services were considered?
There is already a wide range of payment facilities available, including 18 outlets in Prestwich where it is possible to pay cash for council bills.
What is the increase in cash collection & other costs to the Council as a result of this (Longfield/ library income; removal of safe etc.) and what is the net benefit to the Council?
The cost to the Council per receipt taken in the Prestwich office is £2 per item, compared to 40p via the Post Office and 44p via Pay point. The Council has a duty to provide value for money and it isn’t doing so in providing this facility.
The net benefit to the council will be to refocus its resources in providing the facilities which customer actually are demanding, using alternative methods of contact e.g. council tax enquiries. There are no plans to remove the safe at this time.
What is planned for that space?
To be handed back to libraries.
Can we have input into this part of the process?
The outcomes from this consultation exercise will be shared with libraries management.
Why were local Councillors not consulted?
The initial impression was that it was only a minor operational change to the service, in line with what has happened in all other Towns, there will still be a payment facility in the library, it is the removal of the cash element only.
What other councils are operating similar facilities?
None in the Greater Manchester area, Bury has retained and improved facilities compared to other councils
What other areas are we considering for collecting payments from other providers?
This is not the council’s core business.
Any consideration until delaying until the Town Centre regeneration in September 2008?
Definitely until after local Post Office closures announced on 12 June 2008, this process could assist in people using Post Offices for more business.
Concerns
There is a concern on use of cash going down, people prefer face to face contact with Council services, other ways in which people can interact, physical presence and alternatives should be considered. A physical presence will be retained within the library for non cash payments
Older people can’t use bank accounts, small businesses won’t use other payments owing to the cost of automated payments and have to pay a charge. Any person without a bank account will still be able to pay cash at the Post Office and other Pay Point outlets. Small businesses will still be able to pay by cheque or card at the library.
Why not keep it open 3 days or 3 mornings a week?
It will still be open during library hours for non cash payments. For cash payments, opening 3 days or mornings a week, or any reduced hours, the Council would still have to retain 2 staff and pay for banking, insurance and security collections.
Please keep us informed as to the consultation process
The Director of Finance and E-Government and the Head of Revenues and Benefits will give a full report on the consultation back to the next Prestwich LAP on 10 July 2008.
