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Keighley & Ilkley MP Robbie Moore told the Commons about cases of constituents who had been impacted by delays.
He said: “One pensioner waited more than two weeks for a new bank card to arrive. In that time, she could not access her pension and do the basics of her weekly food shop.
“Another constituent waited 10 days for a hospital letter to arrive. He is undergoing chemotherapy, so ended up missing a vital appointment.
“Distrust of the postal service has become so bad that one of my constituents hand-delivers documents to the court herself, unable to trust the system after receiving papers late in the post.”
He says that in 2024-25, Royal Mail nationally delivered just 76.5 per cent of first-class mail within one working day. The target was 93 per cent.
And only 92.2 per cent of second-class mail was delivered within three working days, compared to a target of 98.5 per cent.
Mr Moore – who has also met with Royal Mail’s regional operations director to discuss the situation and press for improvements – says his criticism is not aimed at postal workers, but at management structures within the company.
He adds: “The situation facing many of my constituents is simply not good enough. In just one day, my office received multiple reports from residents who had gone weeks without receiving post.
“I want to be absolutely clear that this is not a criticism of our hardworking posties, who do a fantastic job in often very challenging circumstances.
“There is a clear disconnect between what Royal Mail tells the public about delivery times and what’s actually happening.
“I’ve raised these issues directly with senior management and will continue to press for action.”
A spokesperson for Royal Mail says: “We know how important it is that customers receive their mail as expected, particularly when it includes time-sensitive correspondence.
“Recent UK-wide figures show 92 per cent of letters are delivered on time and 99.4 per cent within a week, so longer delays are rare, but we recognise there is more to do to deliver a consistently high level of service everywhere.
“Where there are local challenges, these are typically due to temporary resourcing pressures – including staff absence – and we work quickly to restore a consistent and reliable service.”
