COI - Dept for Work & Pensions - Direct Payment: Giving it to you straight

For years, millions of Britons had been used to receiving social security benefits and pensions through paper-based methods. However, the Government announced that from 2003, electronic payments would become the norm, a move that was met with widespread hostility. This paper demonstrates how an integrated communications campaign neutralised the emotionally charged atmosphere, by providing a stream of straightforward, non-threatening information about the new scheme. After two years, 95 per cent of claimants had switched to electronic payments, compared with 43 per cent previously. Over seven years, the campaign is estimated to have delivered payback of £29 per £1 spent.