Royal Mail has issued a stark warning to households across the United Kingdom, revealing that serious delivery disruption is currently affecting 151 postcodes. The announcement, made on 18 December 2025, comes at a critical time, threatening to derail the arrival of letters and parcels in the days before Christmas.
What's Causing the Postal Delays?
The national postal service has pinpointed a combination of critical issues at local delivery offices as the root cause of the widespread problems. In its latest update, Royal Mail confirmed that numerous depots are grappling with high levels of staff sickness, general resourcing shortages, and other localised factors. While the company reaffirmed its commitment to a six-day-a-week service, it admitted that in the worst-hit areas, maintaining this standard is temporarily not possible.
To manage the escalating crisis during this peak festive period, Royal Mail stated it is implementing route rotations to spread the workload and has deployed additional resources to the most severely affected branches. The firm's primary goal is to minimise delays for customers expecting crucial mail and last-minute gifts.
Is Your Area on the Affected List?
The disruption is nationwide, impacting communities from Scotland and Northern Ireland to the south coast of England. The extensive register published by Royal Mail includes delivery offices (DO) and their corresponding postcode areas. Key affected locations include:
- Aberdare in Scotland (SUDO AB34)
- Belfast West DO (BT10, BT11, BT12, BT17)
- Bristol East DO (BS5)
- Glasgow G52 DO (G52, G53)
- Londonderry DO (BT47, BT48)
- Plymouth North DO (PL2, PL3)
- Warrington DO (WA1, WA2, WA4, WA5, WA55)
The full list of 151 impacted postcode areas is extensive, covering delivery offices such as Airdrie, Ashton Under Lyne, Dundee East, Inverclyde, Kettering, Nottingham South, and Wigan, among many others. Residents in these zones are being advised to expect holdups with both letters and packages.
Critical Last Posting Dates Before Christmas
With the clock ticking, Royal Mail and other major couriers have reiterated their final recommended posting dates for guaranteed pre-Christmas delivery. These deadlines are now more crucial than ever for those in disrupted areas.
The key dates are as follows:
- Royal Mail 2nd Class: Wednesday, 17 December
- Royal Mail 1st Class & DPD 2Day: Saturday, 20 December
- Royal Mail Tracked 24, Parcelforce express24 & Evri Next Day: Monday, 22 December
- Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed & DPD Gold: Tuesday, 23 December
Royal Mail has apologised for the significant inconvenience caused. A spokesperson said, "We're sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding. We will regularly update customers on the offices most impacted." Customers are urged to check the Royal Mail website for ongoing updates regarding their local service.
