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Customers to pay council bills at local shops
Published Tuesday 11th October 11
A new system has been introduced that allows people to pay council bills at local outlets. Wellingborough Council has teamed up with the Co-operative Bank to offer a convenient and flexible free cash payment service at post offices and PayPoint outlets throughout the country.
With these changes it's proposed that the existing cash desk facility based at the council's Tithe Barn Road offices will close and people who want to pay their bills in cash will use their local shops instead. There are currently 19 PayPoint outlets and 10 post offices in the borough and more than 35,000 outlets throughout the UK. As well as being more convenient for customers, the new system could save the council more than £50,000 a year.
Cllr Paul Bell, leader of Wellingborough Council said: "This is an exciting new development that should have real benefits for our customers. Our borough is very spread out and people who want to pay in cash have had to come into the town centre in order to pay their bills. Now bills such as council tax can be paid at places more local to our customers. Many of the outlets have extended opening hours and we hope it will have a positive effect on the local economy as people may be encouraged to visit neighbourhood shops more."
Customers will start receiving bar-coded bills from this week and can use them immediately. A list of frequently asked questions will be available addressing potential concerns, and posters and flyers advising people about the new system will be displayed at the council's offices. Council staff will be on hand to talk customers through the changes.
Cllr Bell added: "We have every confidence in the new system - the Co-operative Bank has a proven track record in this area and more than 100 other councils in the UK already use their system - but we are aware that when anything new is introduced there are occasionally teething problems. We would like to hear from people about their experiences of using the system so that any issues can be ironed out. Many of our customers have been using the council's cash desk for years and we will help them adjust to the new system so that they can use it confidently."
Public consultation with cash desk customers was carried out throughout last year and a full equalities impact assessment has been completed. People with a bank account can also pay council bills by direct debit or with a bank card at http://www.wellingborough.gov.uk/ or by phoning the automated payment line on 0845 331 3001.