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The postal service is rolling out new versions featuring machine-readable codes in a bid to tackle fraud and make it easier to track post. But there are fears some Britons, particularly pensioners who are more likely to send letters, would be left with stacks of useless stamps due to the looming January 31 cut-off date. Royal Mail has now introduced a six-month extension period for using leftover non-barcoded stamps, taking the deadline to July 31, 2023.
It is also providing forms to swap old stamps for their new barcoded replacements in Post Office branches.
Customers previously faced having to download and print a form from the internet, in what was a headache for some elderly people who do not use computers.
Tory MP Alexander Stafford, vice-chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Philately Group, said: “The January deadline would have inevitably left many people with stamps that they had bought with their hard-earned cash and which would suddenly become completely useless.”
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: “Hopefully this extension will give older people extra time to ensure they don’t find themselves with stamps they can’t use.
“With so many older people now conscious of their spending, we know that every penny really does count.”
