LETTERS: Making contact with banks and business is really getting harder

Banks are closing branches everywhere, stating that the majority of people are using online banking and digital payments, but this is not correct when one visits banks and sees many elderly people queuing for advice.

Energy companies will not answer emails or letters and one has the only option to contact them by telephone.

The above activities are discrimination against the elderly, and that is against Australian law so something has to be done about it.

Adrian Ayres, via email.

A shortage of housing simultaneous with that of tradies is not a new situation. Many migrant families arriving from the Netherlands in the 1950s lived in "tent city" which is now an upmarket caravan park at North Narrabeen, thus enabling them to save for a deposit on a house of their own.

I was one of a family of seven living there for four years from 1951. Once a family managed to move out, they often let part of the house or its garage to help pay the mortgage. This allowed another family to move on to more comfortable surroundings.

We five children thought it was paradise, what with the lagoon, surf and public pool all at walking distance. We were content, living within our means, without government support or even a credit card in sight. After all, the sun was shining, kookaburra and magpie choruses singing their welcome to newcomers to a country at peace.

Marianne van de Voorde, North Narrabeen, NSW.

I read Kevin Greenaway's memories of working for The Commercial Banking Company of Sydney. I worked for the bank in NSW (Gordon) and Victoria (Kew).

In the late sixties we had an accidental shooting at Gordon. Each Wednesday afternoon the tellers from the ANZ branch would come to us after closing to collect some cash. One of the chaps was passing the gun to the other.

The gun began to fall and one of the tellers grabbed it and it went off, shooting the other chap. The noise was awful. The chap sustained an injury right near his hip bone. I'm thankful to say he lived.

While I was working in Kew, part of my duties was to accompany a teller to a nearby suburb one day a week. The teller carried the money and I got to carry the gun. I didn't know anything about guns, certainly not how to use one.

Jenny Prideaux, Lavington NSW.

Upon claiming and receiving a redress payment made under the National Redress Scheme for institutional child sexual abuse is not assessed as income upon receipt for the purposes of aged care means testing.

However, it can be assessed as an asset depending on what the person does with the funds.

For example, if the funds are held as an asset, such as deposited in a bank account or invested in shares or used to buy other assets, those funds will be considered an assessable asset for aged care purposes.

These redress payments are really very personal for sexual crimes committed to us so should never even be taken into account for aged care assessment costs.

The way to do it is to withdraw the redress payments. Either spend is on holidays, enjoy it or put it under your mattress.

Alan Walker, Donnybrook, WA.

So many of your readers comment on the frustration and pitfalls of coping with technology, not to mention the closures of much-needed services.

I wrote to the NSW Seniors Minister Jodie Harrison asking could anything be done to slow disappearing services, or are we seniors collateral damage because we cannot cope with such rapid changes?

I explained to the minister that I did not own a computer, nor did I have an email address. The minister referred my letter to the director of systems, funding and cards who, in turn, suggested I email the manager of card operations.

It seems big tech is determined to go faster and faster in their quest to obliterate all forms of face-to-face contact.

Merle Hawkins, Woolooware, NSW.

Like most seniors (I am 87); I have serious concerns regarding future financial facilities, particularly regarding the banking organisations move towards "electronic banking" or what is also called the "cashless society".

Having been in the Macquarie Bank's move in this direction recently; I have made an assessment as I see it.

Is it valid? Should it be addressed?

Don McGill, via email.