DR UK gives evidence to Financial Exclusion Committee

Financial Exclusion Committee - Oral Evidence Session – Tuesday 13 September

Listen to evidence session

About the Financial Exclusion Committee

Witnesses

• Ms Lucy Malenczuk, Senior Policy Manager , Age UK
• Mr Philip Connolly, Policy and Communications Manager, Disability Rights UK

DR UK would like to thank those who contacted us in advance with responses or testimony that describes your own exclusion or thoughts on policy interventions.

Questions covered

1. What is the nature of financial exclusion that your members experience and what are the main causes of this exclusion?
2. To what extent have policy interventions to tackle financial exclusion assisted your members? How effective are targeted interventions to assist the most vulnerable – such as those with dementia - and are further measures required?
3. How will recent welfare reforms exacerbate or alleviate financial exclusion for among your members?
4. How will the recent pension reforms affect levels of financial exclusion among your members?
5. To what extent has the market responded with products and services that address financial exclusion among the individuals you represent? Are there further measures that could usefully be taken?
6. DWP has extended the contract for the Post Office Card Account, or POCA until the end of 2021. Is there a future role for the POCA and if so, how might the POCA be used to address financial exclusion?
7. Does technology represent an opportunity or threat to the financially excluded? What might be required to ensure that technology reduces, rather than exacerbates exclusion?
8. In considering financial exclusion, where would you like to see the Committee focus its attention?