PCS will begin the first stage of the process of switching DWP members to Direct Debit this week. The first impact of this will be that the reports available to branches on commix imembership will change. Members who have completed a switch to DD will now will appear in the DD column only and not the Check Off/DD (co dd) column.
Deadline 12 April
The deadline for switching DWP members to DD with uninterrupted membership is now 12 April (though we will have till noon on 13 April to make last minute changes). This slightly earlier date is to make sure we meet all deadlines at Unity bank.
Letters to members
Members will soon begin to receive letters in the post confirming their DD payment dates, the account PCS will make deductions from, the amounts and a reminder of the terms of the PCS DD guarantee. If they see any errors in these letters please ask them to contact the PCS HQ membership department using the phone number or email that is in their letter. A sample copy of the letter can be found in the Document Library.
Every member needs a valid ballot address or email
Any member without a valid ballot address will not be written to. Any member with a ballot address that is their work address should be mindful that post may be wrongly opened. If members wish to change their ballot address they can do so by emailing or phoning the DWP Leeds group office , any regional office or PCS HQ membership department.
Branches should take all possible steps to contact members with invalid ballot address and get them updated.
It is important to note that under DD regulations we may only make deductions regularly if we are able to correspond with individuals. If PCS are not able to contact a member for at a ballot address or an email address for 12 months we must stop making deductions. If we are forced to stop taking DD payments PCS will have to lapse members. Having up to date contact information for every member now becomes much more important.
Make sure every member is asked to switch to DD now
Today we have gone over 70% of our DWP members DD ready. There is a massive amount of activity planned for the next couple of weeks as the teams of PCS reps, regional organisers, PCS full time officers and staff visit branches to help and support them getting members DD ready in over 40 DWP sites. Let us know if you need help.
All branches are asked to make sure that talking to members between now and 12 April and asking them to get DD ready is your number 1 priority over the next 2 weeks. Some members have repeatedly said I will switch to DD when check off stops. Now is the time to go back to them and get them DD ready.
What happens after 12 April
The normal PCS rules will apply and members that have not switched to DD by 12 April will still be PCS members and will remain so throughout the normal 3 month lapsing process. A final lapsing letter is sent out after 3 consecutive missed payments in accordance with supplementary rule 3.6 of the PCS national rules, which in this case will be around the middle of July.
Continuing to ask members to stick with the union and pay by dd during this period between 12 April and mid July will be a very important part of our campaign.
In other departments this period has seen a significant increase in the number of members committing to stay with the union and pay by DD. For example in the Home Office when DD ended about 65% of members where DD ready but by the lapsing date that had improved to nearly 80%.
Recruitment of non members
Alongside our work to get members DD ready branches should also be using this as an opportunity to ask non members to join the union. A DWP specific membership application form can be found here. If you want copies please contact leeds@pcs.org.uk
After the lapsing of any members not switched to DD in mid July the focus of our organising work will move into being a recruitment campaign designed to win all DWP staff to PCS membership. The GEC is already beginning to discuss this next stage with your DWP regional organisers and will be producing recruitment materials.
Let’s keep building a strong union
The work done by reps and branches in the DWP has been fantastic. The ending of check off is a political attack on PCS by the government. They hate us because our union has campaigned against austerity and we are a block on cuts in jobs and services. The government hope that ending check off will cut our members and cut our income. The work you do between now and 12 April and then up to mid July to get members to pay by DD and to recruit non members will prove them wrong and mean that PCS is not only stronger but independent of the employer.
Wigan Branch currently stand at over 94% of members switched.
If your one of the remaining few yet to, please come and speak to us - make sure you don't loose your union rights.
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