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Multiple areas across the region are impacted by Royal Mail delays.
Royal Mail has released a service announcement after confirming postcodes throughout Birmingham are experiencing disruption today. The postal service aims to deliver letters and parcels six days weekly, but has been affected by holdups.
Against the backdrop of increasing stamp costs next month, the organisation has attracted criticism for missing delivery targets. Royal Mail has stated it is attempting to “minimise” the disruption to customers.
Nevertheless, it acknowledges that several delivery depots across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are encountering “high levels of sick absence, resourcing, or other local factors”.
As of Monday, March 23, disruption affects 25 delivery depots, reports the Mirror. 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.
“In those cases, we will rotate deliveries to minimise the delay to individual customers. We also provide targeted support to those offices to address their challenges and restore our service to the high standard our customers would normally receive.”
It continued: “We’re sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.” The disruption arrives as stamp prices are scheduled to rise in April.
First Class stamps will increase to £1.80 and Second Class stamps to 91p, from April 6.
A First Class stamp in 2020 cost 76p. From next month, customers will face an additional 10p charge, representing a 137% increase over the past six years. Since 2020, First Class stamp prices have climbed eight times, according to Citizens Advice.
Richard Travers, managing director of letters at Royal Mail, said: “We always consider price changes very carefully, balancing affordability with the rising cost of delivering mail.
“On average, UK adults now spend just £6.50 each year on stamps and there are 70% fewer letters sent than 20 years ago. In the meantime, the number of addresses we deliver to has increased by four million to 32 million addresses across the UK.”
However, the firm received a £21million penalty last October for failing to meet First and Second Class delivery standards during its previous financial year.
Only 77% of first class post and 92.5% of second class were delivered punctually in its 2024-25 financial year – falling short of its respective 93% and 98.5% targets.
Royal Mail delivery delays today
- Barrhead DO (G78)
- Birmingham East DO (B8 – B10)
- Castle Bromwich DO (B35, B36, B37, B40)
- Cranleigh DO (GU6)
- Erskine DO (PA7, PA8)
- Grimsby DO (DN31-DN37)
- Leicester North DO (LE4, LE7, LE41)
- Lichfield DO (WS7, WS13, WS14)
- Loughborough DO (LE11, LE12)
- Newcastle Under Lyme DO (ST5, ST55)
- New Ferry DO (CH32, CH62, CH63)
- Nuneaton DO (CV10, CV11, CV13)
- Oxford DO (OX1, OX2)
- Patchway DO (BS32, BS34, BS35)
- Pontefract DO (WF7-WF9, WF11)
- Redfern Park DO (B11, B12, B25-B27)
- Shepshed DO (LE12)
- Sleaford DO (NG34)
- Spean Bridge SPDO (PH31, PH34)
- Sutton Bonington SPDO (LE12)
- Syston SPDO (LE7)
- Thatcham DO (RG18-RG19)
- Upton DO (CH30, CH49)
- Whitechapel DO (E1,E1W,E98)
- Yate DO (BS37)
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