THE elderly face losing another lifeline after the Post Office announced plans today that put 115 branches and some 1,000 jobs at risk.

Communication Workers Union (CWU) called the proposals “immoral” and “tone deaf” in light of hundreds of subpostmasters being victimised by the Horizon IT scandal.

General secretary Dave Ward said: “We also call on the government to intervene over this shambolic decision.

“Labour has to ensure it does not become the government that targeted elderly people with the removal of the winter fuel allowance and then saw crucial services they rely on removed.”

The company revealed that it is looking to offload 115 directly-owned branches as it looks to boost postmaster pay by £250 million over five years.

This could see them transferred to retail partners or postmasters, or potentially closed.

The Post Office also confirmed that hundreds of further roles are under threat at its headquarters as it looks to streamline back office operations.

At the company’s headquarters in London, Post Office chairman Nigel Railton said: “The Post Office has a 360-year history of public service, and today we want to secure that service for the future by learning from past mistakes and moving forward for the benefit of all postmasters.

“We can, and will, restore pride in working for a business with a legacy of service, rather than one of scandal.”

He added the overhaul also “begins a new phase of partnership during which we will strengthen the postmaster voice in the day-to-day running and operations of the business, so they are represented from the frontline to the boardroom.”

It follows a strategic review launched by Mr Railton in May, but is reliant on funding talks with government, which the Post Office said were “positive and ongoing.”

The government is also said to have been consulted on the possibility of handing ownership of the network to thousands of subpostmasters across the country.

The 115 branches put at risk are Crown Post Offices located in city centres and staffed by Post Office employees.

They are the only remaining branches directly owned by the Post Office, down from close to 400 in 2010.

A spokesman for the Post Office said: “The plan intends to create a new operating model for the business that means ensuring the Post Office has the right organisational design.”