Ofcom has launched a fresh investigation into Royal Mail after the company missed its annual delivery targets for the fourth consecutive year. New figures show that 24.3% of first-class mail failed to arrive on time in the year to the end of March, a deterioration from 23.5% the previous year. The regulator requires 93% of first-class mail to be delivered within one working day, excluding Christmas.
Royal Mail also fell short of its second-class target, delivering 90.2% of mail within three working days against a 98.5% target. The company has faced fines totalling £37m since 2023 for persistent failures. In October, Ofcom imposed a £21m penalty, the third-largest it has ever issued.
Ofcom said it will examine whether Royal Mail prioritises parcel delivery over letters, a practice alleged by whistleblowers and unions but denied by the company. “In deciding whether Royal Mail breached its regulatory obligations, we will consider all relevant factors,” Ofcom stated, including any exceptional events beyond the company’s control.
Royal Mail has not met its first-class target since 2017 or its second-class target since 2020. Last year, Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský completed a £3.6bn purchase of Royal Mail’s owner, International Distribution Services. In April, the price of a first-class stamp rose by 10p to £1.80, more than doubling since 2020, while second-class stamps increased by 4p to 91p.
A Royal Mail spokesperson said the company would “engage fully with Ofcom” and that improving service quality was “a top priority”. They added that a £500m investment programme over five years aims to modernise the postal service, supported by changes to universal service regulations introduced by Ofcom in July 2025.
