What you need to know in the event of a full postal strike
By Nelson Daily Staff
In the case of rotating postal strikes, there could be delays in mail service but deliveries will continue.
Direct Deposit is the standard way of delivering payments to Canadians — it is secure, convenient and reliable. For more information on direct deposit, please visit the relevant department or agency website or call 1 800 O-Canada.
In the event of a full postal strike please refer to the information below.
If you are a senior citizen or a person with disabilities
- Old Age Security (OAS), Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPP Disability) cheques will continue to be delivered by Canada Post
- once a month.
- For more information, please visit www.servicecanada.gc.ca or call 1-800-O-Canada.
If you are collecting Employment Insurance
- Clients who receive their Employment Insurance (EI) cheques by mail will need to pick up their cheques at selected Service Canada Centres or alternate distribution centres throughout Canada.
- For more information, please visit www.servicecanada.gc.ca.
If you are a veteran
- Regularly scheduled cheques will continue to be delivered by Canada Post once a month. This includes disability pensions, monthly allowances, Exceptional Incapacity Allowance (EIA), Permanent Impairment Allowance (PIA), Earnings Loss and War Veterans Allowance (WVA) payments.
- Other non-regularly scheduled cheques, such as Disability Award, Veterans Independence Program (VIP), treatment benefits (including health-related travel), adjustment cheques, etc., will be held for the duration of the postal disruption.
- If you have an urgent need, please contact Veterans Affairs Canada at 1-866-522-2122 (English) or 1-866-522-2022 (French) or visit www.veterans.gc.ca.
If you are applying for a passport
- For information related to Passport Canada services, such as applying for a passport, urgent travel in the next 6 weeks or passport pick-up options, please visit www.pptc.gc.ca.
- In addition, the 144 Service Canada Centres that act as Passport Receiving Agents will continue to accept applications.
- For more information, please visit www.servicecanada.gc.ca
If you are expecting a Social Insurance Number card to be delivered
- Social Insurance Number (SIN) cards will not be mailed during a postal disruption and will be held until the strike is over.
- Employers will be able to confirm a valid SIN by calling 1-800-206-7218 (select option ‘3’).
- For more information, please visit www.servicecanada.gc.ca
If you are expecting to receive the Canada Child Tax Benefit cheque
- Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) cheques that include provincial supplements administered by the CRA (where applicable) will continue to be delivered by Canada Post once a month.
- For more information, please visit www.cra-arc.gc.ca/postalstrike.
If you are expecting a cheque from the CRA for your tax refund, the Universal Child Care Benefit, GST/HST credit, or a provincial/territorial benefit
- If you are already enrolled in direct deposit, you will receive your payment as usual. Canada Post will not deliver cheques for the above payments during a strike.
- To find out how to enroll for direct deposit and for all other strike-related CRA updates, please visit www.cra.gc.ca/postalstrike.
If you need to send in a tax payment, remittance or return
- Taxpayers are encouraged to use alternative methods to file a return, make a payment and send a remittance by using the Canada Revenue Agency’s electronic services or mail drop boxes at local Tax Services Offices and Tax Centers.
- For more information, please visit www.cra.gc.ca/postalstrike.
If you are a farmer participating in a Business Risk Management program
- In provinces where the Government of Canada delivers the AgriStability program, payments will not be mailed until the postal strike is over.
- In the event of a prolonged postal disruption, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada will look at alternative means of issuing payments to producers.
- For more information, you can call toll free 1-800-367-8506 or visit www.agr.gc.ca/agristability.
- AgriInvest Deposit Notices will not be mailed until the postal strike is over. In the event of a prolonged postal disruption, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will look at alternative means of issuing Deposit Notices to producers.
- For more information, producers can call toll free 1-800-367-8506 or visit www.agr.gc.ca/agriinvest.
To complete the 2011 Census
- The 2011 Census can be completed online at www.census2011.gc.ca by using a secure access code. Census interviewers are visiting households that have not yet returned a completed questionnaire.
- If an interviewer visits your household, give your completed paper questionnaire to the interviewer. If postal services resume prior to an interviewer visit, return your questionnaire by mail.
- If you need help or a secure access code, call the Census Help Line at 1-877-777-2011.
For additional information on these or other services and how they will be affected during the Canadian postal disruption, please contact the relevant department or agency website or call 1 800 O-Canada.
