VILLAGERS are joining the fight to save rural post offices threatened by Government plans to scrap pension cards.
Hundreds of pensioners, including Frodsham and Helsby residents, this week signed petitions circulated nationwide by the National Federation of Sub-postmasters, slamming proposals to withdraw the card in 2010.
If the card is scrapped, many will be unable to obtain pensions and benefits from their post office.
The card system replaced pension books in 2003 and cost £1bil-lion to set up.
Although pensions can be paid into banks, not all offer a service at post offices and some pensioners have never had a bank account.
Post offices which rely on trade from pensioners collecting their benefits fear the move could signal the death-knell for the lifeline community service.
Helsby postmistress Christine Wakefield said: 'This would take a lot of custom away and make it very difficult for me to continue.
'They are squeezing us all the time and this would be bad news for Helsby because we have 500 people a week using the card, many of whom also use our shop.
'The new Tesco store has already affected us badly.'
Helsby councillor Frank Thomas, who represents the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) on Post Watch's post office counters sub-group, said: 'We have a large proportion of elderly people in Helsby and this will mean they will have no choice but to open bank accounts.
'It would be a huge blow, particularly for pensioners who are not mobile.'
Cardholder Doreen Withington, 71, of Sandringham Avenue, Helsby, said: 'We would have to go to Frodsham if Helsby closed, which would be an ordeal, especially for those who don't drive.
'This is so wrong and people feel very strongly about it. I've been in Helsby since 1957 but we had more facilities back then.'
Dunham Hill postmistress Barbara Hall, who operates a service from her home four mornings a week, added: 'I would lose custom and the service might not be viable. But a lot of post offices could close even without these plans.'
Helen Cundy, postmistress at Frodsham Post Office, Main Street, said: 'We are probably in a large enough location to survive this but outlying areas could be affected and I feel sorry for the pensioners because the card is quite popular.'
Frodsham's St Hilda's Drive branch confirmed it supported the petition.
