Glossary of terms

BA/POCL project

The complete project including the Benefits Payment Card and the automation of post offices.

Initial-Go-Live

The limited pilot stage which took place in 1996 in ten post offices

Instrument of Payment Fraud

Misuse of order books or girocheques by benefit claimants or other persons for financial gain

Notice of Cure

A legal document issued by a party to a contract giving the other party a period of notice after which the contract may be terminated.

Order Book

Social Security payment instrument, containing tear-off sheets similar to cheques, which claimants present to post offices in exchange for cash.

Post office counter automation

The programme to install in post offices modern computer technology to manage and record a wide range of counter transactions.

The Purchasers

The Department of Social Security and Post Office Counters Ltd

Software Development

The design and writing of new computer programmes.

Software Integration

The linking of existing computer programmes to form a new end-to-end application.