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The Citizens Advice report, which said 1,291 post offices were temporarily closed in September 2021, nearly twice as many as in 2017, alleged that post office closures meant that there were now “gaps in the network”.
But the Post Office said in response that just as many post offices had opened as closed.
A Post Office spokesperson said: “Post Office does not accept that this report accurately reflects our network of 11,500 post offices that has been stable for a decade.
“Whilst banks and traditional retailers have reduced their presence on the high street and in towns and villages, Post Office is sustaining and strengthening its network across the UK.
“In 2019 alone, Post Office opened more than 200 branches across the network and last year we responded to the pandemic with the fastest net growth in the network for decades.
“From the end of March 2021 to the end of December 2021, the net growth in the network was 181.
“Sometimes branches do close: for example, if a postmaster has decided to retire after many decades of service.”
But the Citizens Advice report, called Gaps in the Network, said the Post Office was at “breaking point” in some areas, with branch closures leaving huge gaps in rural areas affecting the old and carers.
Citizens Advice said: “When post offices close, people are forced to take on the additional costs and the inconvenience of travelling further – something which can be particularly challenging in rural areas and for those who face barriers to travelling long distances.
“Although for some people outreaches may be better than nothing, many find the service inadequate. Provision is too infrequent, opening hours inconvenient, queues too long and vital services missing.”
The Post Office countered that 99% of the public live within three miles of a post office and 90% within one mile.
But it added that that the costs of operating the network are not fixed and that “the government should reflect this in determining the appropriate level of subsidy if it wishes to maintain current levels of service and accessibility”.
