Any recommendations for Benefits account?

pixwix

Can anyone recommend - from personal experience - a suitable account for paying Benefits into? I have a lot of 'bumph' from banks and building societies, but it's all just so confusing.

I'm disabled and newly retired and have both my Disabled Living Allowance and OAP paid into a Post Office Card Account which has proved very inconvenient. I live about a mile outside a small Scottish town (and a mile is a long way when you have severe mobility problems and rely on other people for driving). I'm kind of fed up that I can't access my PO Card Account online, even to check up on balances - it means a trip to the PO every time. My only available local bank is the Royal Bank of Scotland, with whom I have a current account specifically for my tiny occupational pension. There are no building societies with local offices. For various reasons I'd as soon not have my benefits paid into my RBS account.

So it looks increasingly as though what I need is an online account - bank, building society, whatever - with which I can check balances. And - obviously - if there's no local counter service I'll need to be able to transfer funds online too.

Any recommendations? Preferably from personal experience?

Thanks in advance.

samjef11_2

You can try First Direct it an online bank click here or smile click here

stator

It would be good to have an account that you can manage online but also access at the Post Office in case you need to take money out directly, or pay cheques in etc. There are several banks that let you do this, here are the details:
http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content1;jsessionid=2K0OOXP3QXAYOFB2IGVFEOQUHRA0WQ2K?catId=19400181&mediaId=19700174
These are the ones you can pay in with:

Alliance & Leicester, Bank of Ireland, Barclays, cahoot, Clydesdale Bank, Lloyds TSB, smile, The Co-operative Bank

When I was with Alliance & Leicester they also gave you FREEPOST pay in envelopes so you can pay in cheques via post without paying for a stamp! Don't know if they still do this though

samjef11_2

stator wrote: »

It would be good to have an account that you can manage online but also access at the Post Office in case you need to take money out directly, or pay cheques in etc. There are several banks that let you do this, here are the details:
http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content1;jsessionid=2K0OOXP3QXAYOFB2IGVFEOQUHRA0WQ2K?catId=19400181&mediaId=19700174
These are the ones you can pay in with:


When I was with Alliance & Leicester they also gave you FREEPOST pay in envelopes so you can pay in cheques via post without paying for a stamp! Don't know if they still do this though

Oh and halifax/bank of scotland also let you do this by the way.

pixwix

Thanks for the info so far, people - every little helps.

samjef11_2

pixwix wrote: »

Thanks for the info so far, people - every little helps.

No problem always happy to provide help and advice to the needed.

System

A&L don't offer the free postal service anymore.

Bank of Scotland / Halifax , LTSB Scotland & Clydesdale all give online and Post Office access.

Yorkshire Building Society offer an Internet Saver with internet access and a cashpoint card. This may be a option if you dont need a fully fledged current account.