Check Out Time For Cheques?
Thursday 7 April 2011
Making cheques redundant is the focus of a debate today (7 April 2011) at the Consumer Council who is hosting a Payments Council UK regional forum. The forum is being held to find out what consumer representatives here think about alternative methods of payments and whether cheques should go.
Over 40 per cent of consumers here have written at least one cheque in the past 12 months and 35 per cent have received a cheque in the last 12 months. Popular uses for cheques are paying a bill by post, paying a tradesman and making a donation to charity. Older people in particular rely heavily on cheques to pay their household bills[1].
Maeve Holly, Senior Consumer Affairs Officer at the Consumer Council said: “Northern Ireland consumers are still reliant on cheques as a method of payment so phasing them out throws up lots of questions that need answered, for example, how will cheques be phased out? what will replace the cheque? The Payments Council[2] is holding a regional forum in Northern Ireland today (7April 2011) at the Consumer Council. The Payments Council will hear first hand about the help needed and the priority areas for consumers for the phasing out of cheques”.
Sandra Quinn, Director of Communications, Payments Council said:
“The reason the target date of 2018 is seven years into the future is because we are well aware of the work that needs to be done to make sure that acceptable alternatives are in place and available to customers, particularly those older people who may be reliant on cheques. Listening to what cheques-users need remains a central part of our work and so we are delighted that the Consumer Council is helping us reach out to consumers in Northern Ireland. “
Local organisations representing older people, those with disabilities, charities, banks and business sector will be in attendance.
- Consumer Council media contact: Grainne Magennis, telephone, 028 9067 4813 or e-mail, gmagennis@consumercouncil.org.uk
- The Consumer Council is an independent consumer organisation, working to bring about change to benefit Northern Ireland’s consumers. The Council campaigns for high standards of service and protection and a fair deal for all. It also carries out research, gives advice and publishes reports and other publications. It deals with individual complaints about buses, trains, planes, ferries, natural gas, electricity, coal and water.
- For more information, visit our website at www.consumercouncil.org.uk
[1]680m consumer cheques written in 2009. 225m (33%) were written by people over 65
[2]The Payments Council is the organisation that sets the strategy for UK payments. It was set up by the payments industry in March 2007 to ensure that UK payment systems and services meet the need of payment service providers, users and the wider economy. www.paymentscouncil.org.uk.
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