More than 55,000 CUPW members have been on strike since Nov. 15. Demands include increased wages, better benefits, improved job security and more. Since the start of the strike, Canada Post hasn’t processed or delivered any mail or parcels, causing ongoing disruptions for the public and businesses during the busy holiday season.
There is one ray of light for Canadians waiting for their mail: certain government cheques will still get through. As announced in November, Canada Post and CUPW will still deliver socio-economic cheques during the work stoppage, for eligible and participating government organizations.
“Under the agreement, CUPW has committed to provide enough volunteers to deliver the cheques,” Jon Hamilton, vice-president, strategic communications and stakeholder engagement at Canada Post, tells MoneySense. “Participating federal government programs include Canada Child Benefit (CCB), Old Age Security (OAS), Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). Provincial cheques for December include those from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Nova Scotia. Socio-economic cheques for the month of December will be delivered on December 18 and 19.”
You may have noticed that some post offices and Canada Post retail stores are open, though not accepting mail or parcels (except for returns). Employees there aren’t members of CUPW—they belong to other unions or are employed by a franchise.
Service Canada is issuing CPP and OAS cheques early
In anticipation of delays due to the postal strike, Service Canada started issuing pension cheques earlier than usual in November.
The federal government also encourages Canadians to set up an online My Service Canada Account. Through that account, you can arrange for any of your benefits to be directly deposited to your bank account. The account also enables users to access services related to social insurance numbers (SINs), the Canada Dental Care Plan (CDCP), government pensions and more.
If you owe money or need to pay a tax installment to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), you can avoid interest and penalties by making payments electronically, either through online banking or a one-time payment via CRA online services.
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Which government cheques are not being delivered during the strike?
Unfortunately, other government cheques and cards are not being delivered during the labour disruption, including passports, driver’s licenses, health cards, and federal and provincial tax refunds and rebates. Employment insurance (EI) cheques are only being delivered to those in “dire need,” according to Employment and Social Development Canada.
