Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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71. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will withdraw the revised application forms issued by her Department and replace them with the previous issue of forms, where payment at the post office was the first option given and no recommendation was made on the application form as to the best payment option; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25541/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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In order to recognise the general societal trend to electronic payments the Department has been changing some of its application forms.

The amendments do not remove the option to be paid at the post office. This option remains on the forms. Therefore, customers are free to opt to receive their payment at the post office if they wish. I also want to emphasise that the department continuously reviews its forms to ensure that they are amenable and relevant to all customers. In order to ensure that the department's forms present payment options equally, I have asked the department to update them to ensure that a neutral wording in relation to payment options is provided and to also ensure that one payment option is not favoured over another.