Unnecessary Waste

Both my wife and I received separate letters today from our local District Council informing us that the responsibility for the issue of our Pensioner's Free Bus Passes National Travel Concession Scheme Passes is being transferred from them to the County Council with effect from next April, and that as our bus passes will expire before this date, would we please sign and return the attached form.
Why on earth is this necessary?
Only a few weeks ago, I filled in the electoral return form showing that we were still at the same address, and this provided exactly the same pre-printed information as this new form, and again, simply required my signature.
Surely, it is not beyond the capabilities of someone at the Council Offices to check the electoral register and ascertain if we are still at the same address, and if so automatically issue the bus pass? What do our signatures on a tatty piece of paper add to the great scheme of things?
Logically, there should only be a necessity to send out letters to those no longer on the Electoral Roll, but then where would they send them?
I know the cost per letter isn't that great, but clearly our local council isn't aware of the old saying "Look after the pennies and the pounds look after themselves"

Incidentally, the only time we use the passes is every couple of months when my wife has to visit the local hospital, saving us the hassle of parking and the exorbitant charges. Otherwise, they don't go anywhere that we want to go.