Waiting for a letter? You’re not alone as short-staffed Royal Mail fails to deliver | News

The post used to come twice a day. Then, in 2004, deliveries were cut to one a day. Now, for many households, there is none.

Across the UK, 77 delivery offices did not make regular deliveries last week as a result of Covid-related absences, according to Royal Mail. This had fallen to 56 by yesterday.

A third of staff at some sorting offices were absent, which made “delivering our usual levels of service very challenging”, Royal Mail said.

Postal workers say sacks of undelivered mail are piled high and they are being encouraged to prioritise parcels over letters. Royal Mail denies this. Under its universal service obligation contract with the government, the company must deliver letters six days a week to every UK address.

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