Registered Post or Recorded Delivery???

[quinne]

I need to send my children's birth certificates to the child benefit office today. Does anyone have any idea on whether it is better to send them by registered post or by recorded delivery? I just don't want the certificates to get lost in the postal strike?

I think registered and recorded are the same thing. I would definitely send them recorded as it is not worth the hassle/cost of replacing them.

I don't think they are the same, I had something to post earlier this week and asked for recorded delivery and post master told me that it was pretty much a waste of money as it goes in the same postbag as all the other letters and just gets signed for if/when it gets to the other end. Registered means that it is treated differently and is guaranteed to arrive (I think I've got them the right way round).
So, yes for birth certs I'd pay the extra but are you sure they send them back the same way ?

Registered post does not exist any more. You have either Special Delivery or Recorded/sogned for. They are definitely not the same. Recorded delivery is for items of little or no value, gets no special handling at all and just goes in the ordinary post with all the other mail. All you get is a signature when its delivered but in practice - large Govt depts get so many recorded deliveries that they dont sign for them individually anyway- it would be impossible!

Special Delivery is for urgent post or valuable items and contents can be insured for up to £2500, unlike Recorded/signed for which is £39.

Quinne - can you not just take your certificates to your local benefits office for them to verify without sending them to the Child Benefit Office?. You could do this years ago.