Royal Mail has disclosed the worst-performing areas for first class post delivery delays, revealing that it fails to meet its targets across all 124 postcode regions in the United Kingdom. The company aims to deliver 90% of first class mail by the next working day, but the hardest-hit areas achieve service levels below 70%.
Paisley Ranks Lowest
Paisley, near Glasgow, ranks at the bottom with only 62.7% of first class letters delivered on time. Other severely affected regions include Blackburn and Burnley at 65.8%, Hull at 66.3%, Teesside at 66.5%, and Stockport at 67%. Oxford, Ilford, Croydon, Newport, and Maidstone also feature prominently, each with on-time delivery rates around 67%.
Stamp Price Increase and Fines
These delays come despite the price of a first class stamp rising to £1.80 last month, a significant increase from 64p in 2016. Royal Mail was fined a record £21 million by Ofcom in October for missing delivery targets, having delivered only 77% of first class and 92.5% of second class mail on time in 2024-25. The delivery target for second class mail is 95%. Notably, the targets were reduced from 93% for first class and 98.5% for second class in April by Ofcom.
Plans for Improvement
Royal Mail has pledged to meet new postal delivery targets by May next year as part of a £500 million investment. This follows an agreement to scrap second class post on Saturdays and deliver it only every other weekday. The changes were piloted across 35 delivery offices, with a nationwide rollout expected to begin this month.
The company aims to improve first class next-day delivery to around 85% within nine months of reforms, reaching the 90% target within a year. For second class letters, it vows to deliver 93% within three days in nine months and hit the 95% target by May next year.
Royal Mail Statement
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We know we haven’t always met the standards our customers expect – and we’re fixing that. Over the past year, more than 92% of letters were delivered on time, and we’re making significant investments to improve reliability. Last year Ofcom agreed to structural reform of the Universal Service and we have a plan to deploy the changes across the UK by the end of this year. Moving ahead with reform will make a real difference to Royal Mail’s quality of service, supporting the delivery of a reliable, efficient and financially sustainable postal service for our customers across the UK.”
List of Worst-Affected Areas
- Paisley - 62.7%
- Blackburn and Burnley - 65.8%
- Hull - 66.3%
- Teesside - 66.5%
- Stockport - 67%
- Oxford - 67.2%
- Ilford - 67.4%
- Croydon - 67.4%
- Newport - 67.5%
- Maidstone - 67.5%
