The one-off payment is equal to 15% of a Postmaster’s March trading in variable remuneration, following successful performance of Post Office’s online business.

Included in the package, which will be paid in April, is a 21% increase in remuneration for Postmasters handling DVLA transactions, and an increase in Mail remuneration worth around £12 million as a result of Royal Mail tariff increases and remuneration increases for Royal Mail volume-based products, such as pre-paid parcels and returns which will go up by 4.0% in line with CPI.

There will also be an average increase of 9.4% on outreach payments to Postmasters who operate mobile vans as outreach Post Offices to take into account the National Living Wage increase and changes in fuel prices.

Additionally, the Post Office has announced a complementary £3.5 million investment to roll-out high-grade note counters for 2800 of its largest banking branches. This will help automate the accurate processing of cash deposits.

OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE INCENTIVE

Chief Executive of the Post Office, Nick Read said that Postmasters were not immune to the current challenging economic environment, adding the Post Office was “acutely aware” of the impact minimum wage increases have on their costs.

“Following a strong performance for our online business, and thanks to Postmasters’ help in building the brand and delivering fantastic customer service, we have again been able to share this success with Postmasters in the form of a one-off payment,” he added.

Post Office has also announced that it is launching an Operational Excellence Incentive.

Back-office activities, such as cash processing and accounting, take a significant amount of time for Postmasters. In recognition of the growing workload for cash processing, in August 2022, Post Office doubled the per transaction remuneration rate for banking deposits, and last April increased all banking deposit remuneration by a further 20%.

To build on this, Post Office is launching an Operational Excellence Incentive to remunerate Postmasters for the time already spent on back-office activities. By carrying out the existing operational requirements for running a branch, Postmasters will have the opportunity to boost total variable remuneration by up to 5% each month. These payments will be based on meeting the requirements for daily cash declarations, cash pouch remittances, cash holdings and monthly trading period accounting.

The first remuneration payment for the incentive will be made on 30^th September 2024. This will be based on activity in the August trading period. Post Office will be sharing with Postmasters more information, training and support guides on the incentive over the coming months.

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Described as a multi-year agreement, the service will move from the Post Office to PayPoint’s extensive network of retailer partners across the UK from 1^st April 2024.

PayPoint said this was “another important central government service” being added to its portfolio and would maintain “vital access to this service at the heart of communities across the UK”.

An International Driving Permit is a permit that allows you to drive in over 140 countries where a UK driving licence alone may not be enough, including the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Turkey, Brazil and Japan, with c.300,000 permits issued each year.

Nick Wiles, CEO of PayPoint said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this contract and to forge a new partnership with the DVLA, adding to the growing number of central government services that we operate across our extensive retailer partner network.

“This is positive news for customers as we maintain access to another vital service at the heart of communities across the UK.”

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PRA executive director Gordon Balmer told industry reps at its Business Breakout session at the Crowne Plaza hotel that the group has fielded more than 100 media interviews over the course of the fuel crisis, including outlets in Australia and the US.

During a visit to Northern Ireland with outgoing PRA chairman Brian Madderson, he explained the background to the fuel crisis and how confidential remarks at a Cabinet meeting were leaked to media, sparking a round of panic-buying.

He revealed that pump prices had hit their highest level since September 2013, with wholesale price rises of more than 4p/litre week on week during the height of the crisis, and warned against the wisdom of the Government increasing fuel duty in November.

Updates

Mr Balmer updated reps on the demographics of Northern Ireland’s market – of 571 sites, 61 are owned by the supplying oil company, 472 are dealer-owned and 38 are operated by multiples.

During the year, the PRA has been lobbying government over the Road to Zero strategy, ATMs and the future of cash and forecourt crime drive-offs.

This week, the PRA has been in a series of meetings with Stormont departments, discussing a variety of issues, including road fuels, organised crime, the introduction of E10, EV charging and the need to improve infrastructure, business rates and fuel laundering. The PRA also met with the PSNI to discuss forecourt crime.

Mr Balmer said the group had been talking to the DVLA and the government about the importance of being able to extract keeper’s details in a timely manner after a driver has left the forecourt without paying.

Many police forces don’t deal with this type of crime, so some UK forecourts have been working with Forecourt Eye – but their efforts are hampered if they can’t get timely details about the vehicle keeper and the crime may have to be written off.

Human trafficking

Meanwhile, Mr Balmer said the PRA had been talking to the Department of Justice about human trafficking and slavery and the issue of hand car washes.

The Car Wash Association is concerned about non-compliant hand car washes and has warned fuel retailers who allow a third party hand car wash to operate on their site of the steps they need to take to ensure that there will be no threat to their own reputation, including having a legally binding lease, planning consents including operational days and times, no labour abuse, and valid Right to Work documents.

Mr Balmer also discussed the latest business rates revaluation in Northern Ireland, pointing out that questionnaires are now available on line and responses must be back to LPS by the end of December.

Transformation

The pandemic has transformed UK forecourts, with fuel retailers increasing their focus on non-fuel categories, Mr Balmer said.

Fewer than 1 in 10 of their shoppers during the pandemic were there on a fuel mission, and the pandemic saw many forecourts operate as standalone convenience stores, with sales of ambient food and chilled ready meals key to that success.

Forecourts are ideal for price-marked promotions, and operators are now utilising apps, allowing them to get to know their customer base better, he said.

The meeting also heard from Adrian Tallant from Eurotank, comparing techniques for cleaning fuel tanks; Kristine Moore from Henderson Technology, who discussed the latest developments in PoS technology and how they can help stores, and Julian Eiers of Edge Petrol who revealed how the company can help forecourts to analyse their data to maximise their fuel pricing strategy.

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