POST Office branches have been operating on reduced hours since the government declared them an “essential service”, and will open under new lockdown restrictions coming into force on the 5 November.
Post Offices provide a lifeline for banking services, collecting benefits, bill payments and to enable letters and parcels to be sent.
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Are Post Offices open?
Post Offices and banks are also allowed to remain open – check out our round-up of bank opening times for more information.
There are around 11,500 Post Office branches around the UK, the majority of which are run independently or as a franchise arrangement.
The Post Office has confirmed that the vast majority will remain open as normal, with only temporary closures due to coronavirus-related staff sickness.
Opening times have always varied by branch, with no set hours across the network.
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Standalone Post Offices are currently open. Opening hours vary from branch to branch, with closures on Sunday.
The first hour of every day in Post Offices which aren’t franchised or part of newsagents is for elderly and vulnerable customers as well as NHS staff and care workers.
For any other Post Offices, you’ll need to check its online branch finder tool to check its opening hours.
Hours are subject to change, so keep an eye your local branch website for information.
Yoou can check the Post Office’s branch access guide here.
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A message on the Post Office website says: “Due to the coronavirus pandemic, branch opening times can change at short notice.
“We apologise for the inconvenience caused by unplanned closures.”
If you pop down to your local Post Office and it’s closed, there should be a poster in the window advertising where your nearest open branch is.
As well as sending letters and parcels, you can also use your Post Office to access your high street bank account and make withdrawals, deposits, balance enquiries and more.
Due to “unprecedented demand” the Post Office says it is experiencing delays for anyone looking to verify documents via its GOV.UK services.
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If you’re waiting for a document to be verified through the app, customers are advised to log out and check back later.
A notice on the website says: “Our team are working hard to process all incoming verification applications and will fulfil your request in due course.
“Once your document has been processed, you’ll receive an email. You can then log back into your account to resume your registration.
“If you need help, email [email protected] and we’ll get back to you as soon as we are able.”
Post is still being collected and delivered, according to the Royal Mail.
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To minimise risk, workers will have to stay two metres apart with only one person in a Royal Mail delivery vehicle at any one time.
To avoid spreading germs on handheld signature devices, postmen and postwomen will instead log the name of the person accepting the item, and sign on their behalf.
Having knocked on the door, parcels will be placed on the doorstep with Royal Mail staff then stepping aside to a safe distance while households retrieve their item.
However, Royal Mail is warning there could be some delay to deliveries.
A note on its website says: “Despite best efforts some services may be disrupted.”
It adds that from experience with other viruses, these types of viruses don’t survive long on objects, such as letters or parcels.
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