The victimless postal strike?
Updated on 30 October 2009
Kate Evans finds out how the postal strike is affecting the general public and whether it is stopping vital information from getting through.
We have heard a lot about how small businesses are affected by the Royal Mail strike - but is it more than a minor inconvenience for the rest of us?
With email, phones and the internet, most of the things we used to rely on the post for can now be done in other ways. Late bank statements? No problem - look it up online or print one out at your nearest cash machine.
But what about the elderly, who might have mobility problems or be unsure about using the internet? Help the Aged says it did have concerns before the strike began, but so far things have been fine.
One of Help the Aged's main concerns was that pension or incapacity benefit cheques would arrive late, but the Department for Work and Pensions has made arrangements to post cheques early so they are not caught up in strike action.
The Patients Association was worried that vital letters from GPs and hospitals would get lost, but so far it has received no calls saying this has been a problem. Other arrangements have been made.
The Citizens Advice Bureau has published advice for those worried about the postal strike, but it says it has not heard of significant numbers of people complaining that the strike has created problems.
Of course, if the strikes continue, things might get more complicated.
