Farron tells Help the Aged fringe meeting 'post office closures leave elderly isolated'

MP Tim Farron spoke yesterday at Help the Aged's annual fringe meeting at the Lib Dem Party Conference in Bournemouth.

Tim made an impassioned plea for a reversal in government policy on the post office network, saying: "Older people in my constituency are becoming isolated because of the closure of post offices. In villages like Beetham, a post office closure can make the difference between an older person being able to live independently and their needing expensive care.

"Post offices are a crucial source of advice and support providing a focus for community life. The closure of small post offices in South Lakeland removes these things from people leaving them completely isolated from the outside world.

"If the Government is serious about keeping older people in their own homes and in their communities (rather than going into residential care) then it needs to reverse its post office closure programme"