Snail Mail

CICRA (the Channel Islands Competition and Regulatory Authorities) are proposing new quality of service targets for Jersey Post.Whilst it is admirable that CICRA want to ensure that 95% of local mail is delivered on the next working day, SSTAG believes that the actual time of the delivery is more important.

SSTAG has received many complaints about the late delivery of mail from the most vulnerable section of the community ie. those people whose only source of income is their weekly Social Security cheque. Pensioners and recipients of incapacity benefit have to survive on a very tight budget and even Mr. Micawber couldn't make their money stretch to an extra day because their cheque was not delivered until 3pm. These people are having to cancel medical appointments because it is impossible to guess what time of day their mail will arrive.

Any public service company must have contingency plans to cover staff sickness or any unforseen disruption to normal service. Unfortunately, Jersey Post has reduced staff levels to such a degree that their delivery service is no longer viable.

CICRA and Jersey Consumer Council are interested in views from the public on the service they receive from Jersey Post.

SSTAG would like to hear your comments and experiences with Snail Mail.

JT and IT and why so many in Jersey are being left behind

JT (Jersey Telephones) is supposed to be a publicly owned business run for the benefit of the Jersey public and the Social Security Department is supposed to be a department of the Jersey government run for the benefit of the very same public.

However it is becoming ever more obvious that there are many different views on what “benefit” actually means and the definition of the term “public” also seems to be obscure.

It seems that “profit” has now been substituted for benefit and consumer for public so far as these two entities are concerned…

The recent JT decision to switch off telephone system X and encourage the use of super powerful new fibre-optic options is all very well but the extra costs involved are being passed on to the public under the all embracing USER PAYS regime that now dominates every service provision – whether public or private.

Already one private Jersey user has launched a web-site or blog to address the costs implications because his IT bills have risen so steeply.

Imagine then the problems that are being caused to people on very low incomes, or without bank accounts – or no access to a telephone line of their own (yes – there are actually people who live in accommodation where a land line is not an option!) or having serious impairments etc etc.

Of course these tend to be people who as “consumers” will not generate much income or profit for JT and so they are not a priority sector.

Besides which, the cost of constantly up-dating or replacing IT equipment or learning new skills is beyond many people.

Yet IT and electronic communication is now an essential part of life. It is not a luxury to own a computer and more and more facilities and access to information can only be obtained “on-line.”

Listening to the likes of Treasury Minister Senator Ozouf with his enthusiasm for an all electronic IT future is especially worrying. He seems only to be able to consider the needs of business – the practical problems that arise for the general public do not seem to be “on his radar.”

Mobile phones, dongles and other cash paid up-front arrangements might be the preferred solutions for some with cash to spare and the ability to use them but for many these are neither accessible nor affordable.

As with the phasing out of cheque books, it seems that business efficiencies in pursuit of profit trump all other social needs or considerations.

We have contacted both JT and the Social Security Minister Senator Le Gresley and raised these problems but they have hardly responded with great enthusiasm or any offers to change the existing systems. Complacency seems to be the order of the day and we will next be contacting the JT Regulating body to see if anything might be done from there.

JT do offer reduced charges already for land-line use by some Pensioners. Why can’t these be extended to other users and for other services? Where is the social responsibility of JT?

As for the other States Members, as always, we would welcome any offers of help or suggestions about improving these matters.

For the record, we e-mailed Senator Le Gresley on 23 August and again on 18 September enclosing copies of our previous correspondence with JT;

“In view of the very poor general public take-up of the new enhanced Internet access options it is obvious that even people with ample cash and/or abilities are finding this not acceptable. I note that one consumer in this category has started some sort of on-line protest.

So far as those with very little cash, no bank accounts or limited IT knowledge are concerned, this ever increasing push for electronic communication is very worrying.

Senator Ozouf said at Scrutiny yesterday that he will be announcing a new push towards IT use soon but it will inevitably be intended primarily for businesses or people who have financial and other resources.

I repeat my previous concern that many people are being left behind and disadvantaged.

IT is no longer a luxury item – it is an integral part of everyday life and I suggest that your department must be prepared to assist those on Income Support etc to participate.

So what can you do about this?”

Senator Le Gresley, the former head of CAB (Citizens Advice Bureau) in Jersey but now the Minister at the Social Security Department responded;

“The household component, with income support benefit, is the component that we would have to consider increasing. We have just increased this component by 3.5% so the next review will not take place until June 2013.

I will take into consideration this exchange of e-mails at that time.”

We at SSTAG do not consider this to be a sufficient response and as already indicated we will be contacting the Regulator with regard to JTs social obligations.

If anybody has any practical suggestions with regard to Senator Le Gresley we shall be pleased to receive them.