SOCIAL SERVICES IMPLEMENTS TEMPORARY CHEQUE PICKUPS

With the possibility of service disruptions beginning as early as Thursday, June 2 at Canada Post, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Social Services has implemented contingency plans to ensure critical cheque payments are available to clients and service providers.

Most monthly cheques were mailed on Monday, May 30 or earlier, and should arrive prior to any postal disruption. These include monthly cheques for the following ministry programs and services:

• Saskatchewan Assistance Program;
• Transitional Employment Allowance;
• Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability;
• Seniors Income Plan;
• Family Service and Family Respite cheques;
• Child Care Subsidy payments to child care facilities; and
• most monthly cheques for Community-based Organizations (CBOs).

Starting today, additional (non monthly) cheques for the following programs will be distributed to ministry offices throughout the province and will be ready for pickup by clients and agencies beginning on Thursday afternoon. These include non-monthly cheques for:

• Saskatchewan Assistance Program;
• Transitional Employment Allowance;
• Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability;
• Family Service; 
• Cognitive Disability benefits; and
• CBOs.

Most of the ministry's payments are made by direct deposit, so fewer than 1,000 cheques, province wide, will require this alternate distribution over the next week.

Clients and service providers are asked to check the ministry's website at http://www.socialservices.gov.sk.ca/ for cheque pickup locations and dates. Clients may also call 1-888-286-0399.

Most payments will not be impacted by this disruption. Clients are therefore encouraged to wait until Thursday, June 2 before contacting their worker about delayed payments.
Ministry clients and service providers who still receive printed cheques are asked to consider switching to direct deposit to avoid these types of disruptions in future.

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For more information, contact:

Brian Miller
Social Services
Regina
Phone: 306-787-0531
Email: brian.miller3@gov.sk.ca