The launch of the Post Office card account (a bank account with basic functionality) supported HM Government’s programme to pay pensions, allowances and benefits directly into bank accounts rather than the previous paper-based system. Nearly four million benefits recipients currently hold a card account, receiving ca. £21bn each year in total.

In 2006, in line with its desire to reduce costs, Government announced it was undertaking a competitive procurement for card account services from 2009 onwards. The potential loss of card account business would have a significant impact on Post Office Ltd, with reports of significant numbers of branches closing.

Having previously been involved in the successful implementation of a banking infrastructure within Post Office Ltd, LOC were responsible for project managing the response to Government’s procurement for the successor to card account. Post Office Ltd were successfully awarded a new card account contract on November 13th 2008.

LOC subsequently programme managed the implementation of the enhancements to the service, including provision of ATM access to customers, the ability to receive payments through Faster Payments and a number of process enhancements.

The project went live on 5th March 2010 - delivered on time and to budget. It was subsequently nominated for the DWP Supplier Excellence awards and was a finalist for the British Computer Society Awards as Business Project of the Year 2010.