The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are advising industrial action by Royal Mail staff from 4th October may affect some benefit payments being paid to customers on the Isle of Wight.

Postal workers are staging two consecutive 48-hour strikes because of a long-running dispute over pay and Royal Mail modernisation plans.

Whilst the vast majority of customers have their payment made directly into a bank or building society account. These payments will not be affected and will be paid into accounts as normal.

However customers who are paid by cheque will not receive their payment through the post to their home address during the dispute. Instead, cheques will be sent by courier to the Post Office nearest to their home address, as identified by Post Office Ltd. 

These arrangements are a temporary measure designed to protect customers from the potential impact of the dispute, when the strike has finished, cheques will be sent as normal.

From 4th October 2007 customers can find out which Post Office their cheque has been sent to by phoning 0845 600 4271 or from the Post Office(r) website Click HERE:

When customers collect their cheques from the Post Office, they must ensure that they have proof of their identity.

* Girobank/Alliance and Leicester Giro Card
* Driving Licence (conditions apply)
* Bank Cheque Card
* Passport
* Credit Card
* Birth or Marriage Certificate
* National Savings bank book
* Personal Cheque Book
* Services (Forces) identity Card
* Current Trade Union or Trade Association Membership Card
* Membership of a nationally recognised institution, e.g. the AA or RAC
* Council Rent Book
* Immigration and Nationality department form SAL1

If any customer experiences difficulty in receiving their payment they should contact their normal office for advice.

These arrangements are a temporary measure designed to protect customers from the potential impact of the dispute.

A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions said: “These arrangements are a temporary measure. When the strike has finished, cheques will be sent as normal.”

From Thursday, customers can find out which post office their cheque has been sent to by contacting 0845 600 4271.

Island Pulse.