Service Canada preparing for Canada Post labour disruption

Service Canada says it has a plan in case there is a Canada Post labour disruption.

They encourage you to set up a My Service Canada Account and sign up for direct deposit to access your benefits and services.

Staff will be ready to assist clients at in-person service sites and through specialized call centres.

Meanwhile, Canada Post has agreed to continue to deliver benefit cheques once a month in the event of a strike or lockout.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees says Canada Post handed union members lock-out notices just hours after the union issued a 72-hour strike notice.

Steps in place to help Canadians who receive benefits

According to a release, Service Canada has taken a number of steps to support those who rely on mail when accessing benefits or services, specifically:

• For public pensions, which include the CPP, the CPP disability benefit and OAS, Canada Post would continue to deliver paper cheques once a month. November cheques would be released for early delivery to mitigate potential delays that any mail disruption could cause.
• Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) clients can view their determination letters through their My Service Canada Account. If it has been more than 20 business days since their application, CDCP applicants could call Sun Life or Service Canada’s CDCP call centre to receive their member ID, start date of coverage and coverage level.
• For passport clients who have chosen the 10-day pick-up service, passports will continue to be available for pick-up at Passport Offices and certain Service Canada Centres as usual. Those who have applied for a new passport and chose to get it by mail should expect delays. If a client has already submitted an application and is now in urgent need of a passport, they should contact the Passport Program at 1-800-567-6868 or visit a Service Canada Centre to request to have their passport application transferred to one of the 60 passport offices offering pick-up service.
• Social Insurance Number (SIN) applicants can apply for their SIN through the eSIN online application or in person at a Service Canada Centre. They can also view their SIN through MSCA.
• Clients who receive their EI cheques by mail are encouraged to sign up for direct deposit, if possible. Once signed up, clients will generally receive their payment in two to three days. For the remaining clients, if they contact Service Canada to indicate they are in dire need, arrangements will be made to have their cheque delivered to their homes or to a Service Canada Centre through alternative means.
• EI clients can visit MSCA to view their decision letters and use the Document Upload feature to submit information needed for their claim, such as medical certificates. During any labour dispute,
  Service Canada would be unable to mail access codes for new clients. Clients can obtain a new access code by calling the EI call centre or visiting a Service Canada Centre.

Service Canada says 1-800-O-Canada remains available for Canadians who are looking for help, including directing clients to resources to help set up Direct Deposit.

CDCP applicants are encouraged to refer to the online CDCP Status Checker or call 1-833-537-4342 to confirm the status of their application.

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