LIKE most people, I have seen the TV advertisement regarding benefits being paid directly to personal accounts. I recently received a letter from the Department of Work and Pensions informing me of my options. I chose a post office card account and was told to ring a free phone number.

I did and told the person on the other end that I would like to open a card account, the reply was: "Would it not be better to have your benefits paid into your bank account?"

Having said no, I was told they would send me the details. After ten days a letter finally arrived inviting me to go to the post office and get an application form. Why could they not just have sent one through the post?

On the form was a series of questions to which answers had to be written in boxes about an eighth of an inch square, one for each letter and a space three eighths by one inch for your signature

On no account had you to mark outside these boxes. And don't fall into the same trap as I did by using a blue ball point pen -- not acceptable; only black can be used.

Is this all part of the master plan by this government to put people off using the local post office?

Would it not be better if the elderly, already collecting their pensions by payment book at the post office, could continue this method for the rest of their lives, instead of having to start using card swipe machines and pin numbers?

By all means implement the new system as people come on to pensions. They will probably be used to this type of system anyway. It seems like common sense to me, but since when has this government ever used common sense?

JOHN FARRER, Mallard Place, Oswaldtwistle.