Fiona
Bruce MP supports ‘Keep Me Posted’ campaign in Parliament
The campaign ‘Keep Me Posted’ is
in support of consumers rights to choose paper bills or statements without
charges or penalties, without removing paper or altering frequency unless prior
agreement, without taking away continued access to online.
Banks and other service
providers are increasingly restricting access to paper bills and statements
with little or no consultation. Customers are often charged a fee for the
privilege of a paper statement.
The campaign is a partnership
of more than 80 leading charities, consumer organisations, trades unions and
businesses working to ensure that all service providers offer the consumer the
choice of how they receive information whether it be post or digital. 81% of
adults want to have the choice whether to receive their information digitally
or post, 84% of UK adults do not like it when companies take away their right
to choose how they are communicated with.
The UK already lags behind
other countries such as Spain, France, Germany and Finland, where the right for
consumers to receive free paper bills and statements is enshrined in law.
Fiona Bruce has supported this
campaign since its inception, and attended a recent session at Parliament to
sign a petition, supporting the campaign movement to call on service providers
to give customers the choice of free regular paper bills and statements and to
sign the six point pledge.
Judith
Donovan CBE, who chairs Keep Me Posted, said:
“I
am grateful to Fiona Bruce MP for giving us the time to support the campaign
today, and for fighting for the right of her constituents to have the choice of
a paper bill or statement.”
Fiona
Bruce MP said:
“I
am continuously supportive of ensuring residents receive information in the
form which is preferable to them without any such penalties from service
providers. Currently, 16 million consumers aged fifteen and over do not have
online access. The Office for National Statistics estimates 5.2 households in
the UK do not have internet access and are reliant on their bills coming
through post. These residents should not be penalised for issues beyond their
control and should have the option of how they receive their information
without any additional charges. Additionally, without paper statements people
are more likely to miss payments and unable to manage or track their finances.
Technology
is become more prevalent, but we must ensure we accommodate everyone whether
they have access to a computer or not. For those who feel they prefer to rely
on posted information we should accommodate them, not penalise them.”
You can sign up to the Keep Me
Posted campaign yourself by calling 020 7566 9773, writing to Keep Me Posted,
24a St John’s Street, London, EC4P 4DZ or sharing your stories, preferences and
experiences at www.keepmeposted.uk.com.
