Royal Mail has issued a warning that 30 postcode areas across the UK will experience mail delivery delays following the Easter weekend. The company stated that on Tuesday, April 7, disruptions were affecting several regions, including Birmingham, Lichfield, Pontyclun, Erskine, and Grimsby.
The delays are attributed to local issues such as high levels of sick absence, resourcing challenges, and other factors. Royal Mail said it aims to deliver to all addresses six days a week but acknowledged that in a small number of local offices, this may temporarily not be possible. The company rotates deliveries to minimise inconvenience and provides targeted support to affected offices.
No deliveries or collections took place on Easter Monday, April 6, and Good Friday, April 3, also saw no deliveries in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, though deliveries occurred in Scotland. Royal Mail owner Daniel Kretinsky apologised for late deliveries but denied that the track record was deteriorating, describing the situation as 'not perfect, but not catastrophic.'
Meanwhile, stamp prices increased on the same day, with First Class stamps rising to £1.80 and Second Class to 91p. Royal Mail attributed the rise to increasing delivery costs, a 70% decline in letter volumes over 20 years, and a rise in delivery addresses to 32 million across the UK.
