STAMP BOOTY
Pssst. Want to save a fiver on your Christmas stamps? More than 4 million people could. But many do not seem to know about it.
When Royal Mail introduced its record rise of 14p on first and second class stamps last April it promised that anyone on certain state benefits would be able to buy some stamps this Christmas at last year’s price. The scheme begins this month.
If you get pension credit, employment and support allowance, or incapacity benefit you can buy up to 36 stamps – first or second class or a mixture – at the old price of 36p (second class) or 46p (first) instead of paying the new prices of 50p and 60p. The total number of people getting these benefits is more than four million.
If you buy the maximum 36 stamps you will save £5.04. You can have Christmas stamps or ordinary ones and you don’t have to use them on Christmas cards or letters. But you do have to buy them in a single purchase – you can’t buy 20 one day and go back for another 16 a week later!
Last month Royal Mail sent a leaflet to every home in the country which explains the scheme and contains a voucher. You need to take the voucher to any post office together with a letter from the DWP or the Social Security Agency in Northern Ireland which confirms that you get one of the relevant benefits. The letter must be less than 12 months old. Alternatively a bank statement showing the code for paying in the benefit will be accepted.
If you can’t get to the post office someone else can get the stamps for you as long as they have your voucher and letter.
If you missed the leaflet with the voucher in you can order another by calling the Royal Mail on 08456 016 248 or online www.royalmail.com/services/personal-delivery-options-uk/order-voucher-form. The last day to order the voucher is 18 December and you have to buy the stamps by 24 December. You can also get the voucher from local AgeUK offices.
You can find out more here on the Royal Mail website www.royalmail.com/services/personal-delivery-options-uk/christmas-offer
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