I have spoken with postal workers at various locations who remarked in confidence they are also concerned about the level of service they feel they are forced to provide because of pressures put upon them.
I will raise residents concerns with Royal mail senior officers, and also ask them to review the number and location of post boxes around Prudhoe which has seen an increase of homes, previous requests for this to take place were rejected as Royal Mail look to the distance between them as the ‘crow flies’, but do not consider access routes.
Residents/ businesses with concerns about the service, they pay a lot for and should expect are asked to follow the complaints procedure, as shown below.
Delayed post could lead to residents / business missing out on opportunities, increase in expenditure or missing medical appointments, which is not only serious for the individuals but also for the healthcare provider.
Not everyone uses digital communications such as e mail / internet.
Royal Mail’s letter delivery performance has been officially deemed unacceptable by the UK communications regulator, Ofcom, leading to substantial fines.
- Fines for Missed Targets: Ofcom has fined Royal Mail £21 million for failing to meet its annual First and Second Class delivery targets during the 2024/25 financial year. This marks the third consecutive year Royal Mail has been fined for service failures.
- Performance Statistics: In 2024/25, Royal Mail delivered only 77% of First Class mail on time (target 93%) and 92.5% of Second Class mail on time (target 98.5%), even when accounting for exceptional weather.
- Ofcom’s Stance: Ofcom’s Director of Enforcement described these persistent failures as “unacceptable” and stated that customers “deserve better”. Ofcom has demanded that Royal Mail publish and implement a credible plan for “significant and continuous improvement”.
- Impact on Customers: Groups like Citizens Advice have highlighted that delays cause millions to miss critical correspondence such as “urgent medical appointment letters, legal documents and benefit decisions”.
- New Regulations: To address the ongoing issues and support the service’s sustainability, Ofcom has modified the Universal Service Obligation (USO) to allow Royal Mail to deliver Second Class mail on alternate weekdays nationwide.
How to Make a Complaint
If you are experiencing ongoing delivery issues, you can make a formal complaint:
- Contact Royal Mail: Report delivery problems directly via their Royal Mail website or by post.
- Escalate to Ofcom/Citizens Advice: If your issue remains unresolved after contacting Royal Mail, you can seek advice from Citizens Advice or escalate the complaint directly to the regulator.
Royal mail – Complaints – CLICK HERE
Citizens advice – CLICK HERE
OFCOM fines Royal mail CLICK HERE
Which report – CLICK HERE
Royal mail prices – CLICK HERE
Royal mail local services CLICK HERE
Royal mail jobs – CLICK HERE
Royal Mail sold off CLICK HERE
Royal Mail Service updates CLICK HERE
Prudhoe Matters 