The worst towns for receiving first-class post have been identified, with some areas experiencing nearly one in three letters arriving late. Official statistics reveal that Royal Mail is failing to meet first-class delivery targets in all 124 UK postcode areas, despite the cost of a first-class stamp rising from 76p in 2020 to £1.80 today.
Worst-Affected Areas
The most severely impacted area is Paisley, near Glasgow. Other badly affected regions include Blackburn and Burnley, Hull, Teesside, Stockport, Oxford, Ilford, Croydon, Newport, and Maidstone. All these locations have a first-class service level below 70 percent, even though regulator Ofcom has set a target of 90 percent of letters arriving the next working day.
Overall Performance and Compensation
In total, Royal Mail managed to deliver only 77 percent of first-class post on time last year. The company has also admitted to paying out more than £5.5 million in compensation to dissatisfied customers in the past year, primarily for lost or delayed deliveries.
Criticism from Campaign Groups
Dennis Reed, director of campaign group Silver Voices, said: 'Royal Mail appears to have an objective of jettisoning its letter delivery service in favour of parcels and is doing this by dampening demand through astronomical stamp prices and poor delivery performances. It will be pensioners who lose out... Many are already missing key health appointments and bill deadlines as letters are not delivered on time.'
Regulatory Fines and Improvement Plans
Royal Mail was fined £21 million by Ofcom in October for missing targets. It also delivered only 92.5 percent of second-class post on time in 2024-25. The company has pledged to meet its letter delivery target by May 2027 as part of a £500 million turnaround, which includes a plan to axe regular Saturday second-class deliveries. It says it will improve first-class, next-day delivery to around 85 percent within nine months, before reaching the 90 percent target within a year.
A Royal Mail spokesman said: 'When all addressed mail is taken into account, more than 92 percent arrives on time.'
