Royal Mail has been criticised for an “unacceptable” performance over the Christmas period after failing to deliver letters and cards on time to about 16 million people, according to Citizens Advice. The consumer watchdog said the figure was 50% higher than in 2024 and the highest festive-period level in five years, excluding strike-hit 2020.
“We’re afraid there’s no light at the end of the tunnel for consumers struggling with Royal Mail’s persistent delivery failures,” said Anne Pardoe, head of policy at Citizens Advice. “When people have no other postal provider to choose from, the sheer volume of delays is simply unacceptable.”
The research, based on a survey of almost 2,100 adults, calculated that 5.7 million of those affected missed out on important information such as health appointments, fines, benefit decisions and legal documents. “The company’s dreadful festive slump is about much more than late Christmas cards,” Pardoe added, urging regulator Ofcom to “start cracking down even harder on missed targets”.
Royal Mail defended its performance, with a spokesperson saying: “Independent data shows that more than 99% of items posted by the last recommended dates arrived in time for Christmas. This was during our busiest time of year, when volumes more than double.” It was the first Christmas since the £3.6bn takeover by Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský.
Ofcom has allowed Royal Mail to end second-class Saturday deliveries and reduce the service to alternating weekdays. The cost of a first-class stamp has more than doubled since 2020 to £1.70, and over a third of those surveyed said they sent fewer Christmas cards due to expense. Royal Mail has not met its delivery targets for first-class post since 2017 or second-class since 2020, and was fined £21m in October.
