Second advice session on bank benefit payment move

A second advice session is being held to help the Isle of Man's benefit and pension claimants - who are reliant on a government card system - to find an alternative way of collecting payments.

It comes amid plans to replace the MiCard system, which allows benefits cash to be collected at post office branches, with direct bank payments for all users in future.

Last month, Tynwald members supported extending the current cash system to those without a bank account amid fears the 800 remaining users of the system could be left unable to collect their money.

The session, to be attended by representatives of island-based banks and social security officers, takes place at Markwell House on Wednesday.

Treasury Minister Alex Allinson faced further questions about the arrangements being made for remaining users of the system in the House of Keys on Tuesday.

He told politicians a "number of planned outreach work streams" had taken place since the Tynwald resolution on 20 November, including the first drop-in session.

As a result, the social security division was expecting "at least 261 forms" to be returned to transition card users onto direct payments into their existing bank accounts.

Allinson said, while negotiations with the Isle of Man Post Office over the operation of the MiCard system in 2026 had not been finalised, the cost of that temporary service and a cheque cashing service was expected to be less than the previous annual running costs of £500,000.

The minister said those who still had money loaded onto the existing cards at the end of the year may need to be sent a cheque as the cards themselves – which are only valid for three years – would become redundant on 31 December.

He urged anyone with outstanding claims to collect the cash before then to avoid the delay of having to wait for the cheque to arrive.

The latest advice session takes place at the social security office at Markwell House, on Market Street in Douglas, between 09:30 and 12:30 GMT on Wednesday.

The Treasury said remaining benefit claimants unable to open or use a bank or online account would be sent letters enabling them to enrol for a new temporary MiCard valid from 1 January.

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