Exclusion on benefits

MORE and more I am coming to realise the effects of exclusion when one is in receipt of benefits. My son had the bright idea of joining Hutton Moor recently as he is overweight and wants to get fit. He went along with the £35 month's joining fee and was told he could only pay through direct debit unless he paid for a year (two months free) in cash! He doesn't have a bank account and therefore cannot do it. He is on benefit and cannot afford to pay for a year in advance. Hutton Moor is run on behalf of North Somerset Council as far as I understand it and I have enquired about concessions but have not yet had an answer. He is therefore forced to join a commercial gym, which doesn't have a swimming pool and is £1 more expensive per month.I have learned that the banks are planning to charge people for current accounts. The Government encouraged people on benefits to open bank accounts into which they could have their benefits paid. Bank accounts are essential in this day and age as more and more companies prefer direct debits, offering cheaper bills for paying this way. People on income support can't afford to pay extra for things like that and many will have to give up their accounts. There are many things one can't access without a bank account. Talk about keep one down when one is down!MS J GLASGOW - Severn Road, Weston