Royal Mail has issued a warning about potential delivery disruptions affecting more than 100 postcodes across the United Kingdom, with 38 sorting offices identified as likely to experience slower services.
The postal operator attributed the problems to a combination of severe weather events and elevated rates of employee absence.
A company spokesman stated that “adverse weather, including storms Goretti, Ingrid and Chandra in January, alongside higher-than-usual sick absence, has caused some short-term disruption to certain routes”.
The announcement comes amid growing customer complaints about delayed post and allegations that packages are receiving priority treatment over traditional letter mail.
Is your area going to be impacted by Royal Mail delivery ‘disruption’?
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GETTY
The postal service company reassured the public that the overwhelming majority of postal items continue to reach their destinations on schedule. Royal Mail said: “We want to reassure customers that the vast majority of mail is delivered as planned and understand how frustrating it is when post does not arrive as expected.”
Furthermore, the organisation pledged to deploy additional resources in areas experiencing backlogs, with the aim of returning affected routes to normal operations as swiftly as possible.
Where delays impact specific delivery rounds, the postal service has confirmed it would bring in extra support to “restore deliveries as quickly as possible” for customers.
However, a BBC investigation has uncovered that correspondence is being stored at delivery depots for weeks at a time, resulting in recipients missing time-sensitive documents, including medical appointment letters and banking statements.
Royal Mail delivery lorries and minivans parked in the car park of the Mount Pleasant Post Office | GETTY
Anonymous postal workers told the broadcaster that packages were being given precedence over letters at certain facilities, even when the letters carried first class postage. Staff shortages were cited as a broader factor affecting service quality.
It is understood that when parcels accumulate rapidly and obstruct walkways within sorting offices, Royal Mail opts to clear these items before processing letter mail. It has noted that parcel volumes continue to rise as online shopping grows, whilst the quantity of addressed letters passing through its network declines.
The postal operator serves close to two million postcodes and holds an obligation to deliver mail six days weekly. Last year, Ofcom approved plans allowing the company to end Saturday deliveries for second class letters and shift to alternate weekday services.
This reform has been trialled at 35 delivery offices but remains unimplemented across the full network of 1,200 sites, as negotiations with the Communication Workers Union continue.
Britons may see a change to Royal Mail delivery services in the near future | GETTY
Royal Mail does not usually deliver or collect mail on public and local holidays | GETTY IMAGES
Here is a full list of the postcodes that will be impacted by Royal Mail’s latest delivery disruption:
- Aberdare DO (CF44, CF45)
- Ashington DO (NE22, NE62, NE63, NE64)
- Banbridge DO (BT32)
- Beverley DO (HU11, HU17, HU18)
- Brechin DO (DD9)
- Brierley Hill DO (DY5)
- Chichester DO (PO18 – PO20)
- Chipping Norton DO (OX7)
- Daventry DO (NN11)
- Glasgow G15 DO (G15)
- Glasgow G52 DO (G52, G53)
- Helston DO (TR12, TR13)
- Hull Central DO (HU1-HU3, HU5, HU9, HU12, HU19)
- Hyde DO (SK13, SK14, SK16)
- Kingswood DO (BS15, BS30)
- Kirkcaldy DO (KY1 – KY3)
- Leicester East DO (LE2, LE5-LE7)
- Lichfield DO (WS7, WS13, WS14)
- Lisburn DO (BT26-BT28)
- Lochgelly DO (KY5)
- Lutterworth DO (LE9, LE17)
- Maida Hill DO (W9)
- North Tyneside DO (NE25-NE30)
- Oxford East DO (OX3, OX4, OX33, OX44, OX49)
- Penarth DO (CF64)
- Pendle DO (BB8, BB9)
- Pontefract DO (WF7, WF8, WF9, WF11)
- Pontyclun DO (CF72)
- Prenton DO (CH43)
- Shrewsbury DO (SY1-SY5)
- Sileby SPDO (LE12)
- Sleaford DO (NG34)
- South Shields DO (NE33, NE34)
- Sunderland DO (SR1-SR6, SR9)
- Swan House DO (LE1, LE3, LE7-LE9, LE19, LE95)
- Swindon DO (SN1, SN2, SN3, SN6, SN25, SN26, SN38, SN99)
- Waterlooville DO (PO7-PO8)
- Whitwood DO (WF6, WF10).