A lot of people think that Post Office and Royal Mail are the same. They are not, though they both have a lot of red in their logo.

As the ITV drama (episode 4) makes clear, the only shareholder of the Post Office is the Government (effectively the tax-payer). How could you be confused about that?

A long time ago, the GPO incorporated both the Royal Mail and the Post Office, what we know now as British Telecom, was the telephone exchange out the back. My Grandfather was a solicitor to the GPO, he was a civil servant . What he’d have made of all that’s happened since, especially the business with the sub postmasters – I dread to think. He was called Frank , came from Leeds and liked tennis.

The situation is now not so simple. The old telephone service that sat at the back of most large post offices is now BT with all its spin-offs (Yell and OpenWorld etc). Royal Mail is now a number of businesses including Parcel Force, all under private ownership.  The Post Office is still “ours”, but not a possession we are too happy about.

Things become even more complicated for pensioners

The Post Office and Royal Mail had one pension scheme and along with British Telecom administrated hundreds of thousands of our pensions (in Chesterfield of all places). Now BT is not just a pension scheme but a fiduciary manager (Brightwell), the Royal Mail runs a host of DB plans including one for the Post Office.

The old Royal Mail pensions ( earned before 2012) were taken over by the Government which now guarantees them. The Government also provides a “crown guarantee” to the BT defined benefit pension plan . Most older  post office workers have pension rights in the bought out Royal Mail scheme though there is a Post Office Pension scheme for post 2012 benefit administered by the Royal Mail . The old Royal Mail pensions are administered by Capita though some are now paid by Rothesay Life

If this sounds complicated , then keep up, there’s also a Royal Mail DC pension plan which is a workplace pension plan doesn’t pay pensions and a Cash Balance plan which is a pension plan that only pays lump sums (for the moment). From some time in the future, Royal Mail may have a CDC plan  as well

Of course , because the Government owns the Post Office, if you have a Post Office pension, it ends up being paid by the Government one way or other.

There’s a rather cute Quietroom video where Vincent Franklin explains it all with squirrels

Why it’s important not to be confused

The Post Office, which we rely on for so much will now be considered a governance black-spot. It is important to Royal Mail that it does not get dragged into the Post Office’s private hell.

Unfortunately, I fear that Royal Mail will suffer some collateral damage from the public revulsion with the Post Office. It shouldn’t.

Beating up on Paula Vannells, the hapless Post Office CEO is currently a national pastime

Nearly 900,000 people have signed the petition to strip  her of her CBE.  Politicians now find it fashionable to deplore the Post Office and Fujitsu, though where they’ve been for the past 20 years is another question,

It’s also becoming popular to show your campaigning credentials by supporting the petition on social media. Maybe we are in danger of virtue signalling, most of us have been aware of the scandal for at least a decade.

I am worried that in the crush to get to the front of the queue to throw our custard pies, we might aim at the wrong targets.

Warning ; if you are getting angry with the Post Office you are not to take it out on

1. Post Office counter staff
2. Your postman
3. CDC