Royal Mail delivery delays hit as 16 UK postcode areas affected

As of Tuesday, May 19, disruption is affecting 16 UK postcode areas. Royal Mail said: “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.

“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.”

The firm added: “We’re sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.” During the past 24 hours, Royal Mail’s air and road network has run to schedule.

All mail centres have also confirmed that post was processed and dispatched on time. Delays are expected nationwide next week due to the Spring Bank Holiday.

Royal Mail said: “We deliver and collect your mail on most days of the year, including Saturdays. However, we don’t usually deliver or collect on public or local holidays.”

The firm has faced significant criticism over delayed deliveries and was handed a £21 million fine by Ofcom in October. The penalty was issued after Royal Mail missed its targets, delivering just 77% of First Class post and 92.5% of Second Class post on time in 2024 to 2025.

Royal Mail has since pledged to meet its letter delivery targets by May 2027 as part of a £500million recovery plan.

This would result in deliveries on three days one week and two days the next. First Class Next Day delivery targets are set to improve to around 85% within nine months, before hitting the 90% target established by regulator Ofcom within a year.

Royal Mail also committed to delivering 93% of Second Class letters within three days over nine months, with the aim of reaching the 95% target by May next year.