Royal Mail has reported delivery delays affecting 29 postcode areas across the UK as of Friday, March 27. The disruption impacts homes and businesses in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with 14 delivery offices facing issues including in Birmingham, Luton and Ilfracombe.
The company’s owner, Daniel Kretinsky, apologised to MPs for late letters but denied that performance was deteriorating. “It is not perfect, but it is not catastrophic,” he told the Commons Business select committee. Last October, Royal Mail was fined £21 million for missing First and Second Class delivery targets in its 2024-25 financial year, achieving only 77% and 92.5% on-time delivery respectively, against targets of 93% and 98.5%.
Customers also face a stamp price rise from April 6, with First Class stamps increasing to £1.80 and Second Class to 91p. In 2020, a First Class stamp cost 76p.
Recent delays have been exacerbated by weather and transport issues. A flight carrying mail from East Midlands to Prestwick had to return due to adverse weather, affecting deliveries from parts of the Midlands, South West, North of England and Northern Ireland to Central and Southern Scotland. Additionally, a vehicle from Glasgow to the Midlands Parcel hub arrived late, impacting mail from G, KA, ML and PA postcode areas destined for London, the South East, the South West, the Midlands and Northern Ireland.
Royal Mail stated: “We aim to deliver to all addresses we have mail for, six days a week. In a small number of local offices, this may temporarily not be possible due to local issues such as high levels of sick absence, resourcing, or other local factors.” The company apologised for any inconvenience and thanked customers for their understanding.
