Royal Mail has issued a stark warning to households across the UK, confirming that significant service disruption at local delivery offices could leave parcels and letters delayed this festive season. The national postal operator has identified 117 postcodes where residents cannot be assured of receiving their mail six days a week.
Where Are the Christmas Postal Delays?
The scale of the disruption means deliveries cannot be guaranteed in the affected areas, raising serious concerns for customers awaiting important documents and last-minute Christmas gifts. This festive blow comes despite Royal Mail recruiting approximately 20,000 additional seasonal workers to handle the traditional surge in mail volumes.
In an official statement, Royal Mail explained: “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.”
The company added that in affected offices, it will rotate deliveries to minimise delays and provide targeted support to restore normal service standards. “We're sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding,” the statement concluded.
Missed Targets and a Multi-Million Pound Fine
This latest disruption follows Royal Mail’s admission last month that it has been consistently missing its delivery targets. Performance figures reveal a worrying decline:
- Between June 20 and September 28, only 73.4% of first-class post was delivered the next working day.
- Just 90.4% of second-class mail arrived within three working days in the same period.
These figures show a drop from the company's performance during the 2024-25 financial year, when it delivered 77% of first-class and 92.5% of second-class mail on time. Both results fell short of the regulatory targets of 93% and 98.5% respectively.
As a consequence, communications regulator Ofcom fined Royal Mail £21 million for failing to meet its legal obligations.
What is Royal Mail Doing to Fix the Problem?
Royal Mail says it is implementing several measures to improve reliability. These include recruiting more frontline staff, simplifying operations, and supporting delivery offices grappling with staff shortages.
The company is also preparing a major change to its delivery model. Under new plans, second-class letters will no longer be delivered on Saturdays and will instead move to every other weekday. Pilots for this new system are already underway, with a wider rollout expected from early next year, according to reports.
Jamie Stephenson, Royal Mail’s chief operating officer, said: “Reliable deliveries really matter to our customers, and they matter to us too. We're taking targeted action to improve performance - recruiting more frontline staff, simplifying operations and investing in a new delivery model, with early pilots already showing measurable results.”
He added that teams were “working hard to make sure every item arrives on time and with care.” The company has advised customers in the affected areas to allow extra time for their deliveries while work continues to restore normal services.
Full list of postcodes currently experiencing significant delays:
Aboyne SUDO: AB34; Altens DO: AB10, AB11, AB12, AB35; Ashington DO: NE22, NE62, NE63, NE64; Barry DO: CF62, CF63; Belfast West DO: BT10, BT11, BT12, BT17; Bingham DO: NG12, NG13; Bristol East DO: BS5; Brixton DO: SW2; Callington DO: PL17, PL18; Canvey Island DO: SS8; Clevedon DO: BS21, BS49; Dundee East DO: DD4, DD5, DD7; Dunstable DO: LU5, LU6; Dursley DO: GL11, GL12, GL13; Dyce DO: AB21; Egremont DO: CA21, CA22, CA23, CA24, CA25, CA27; Erskine DO: PA7, PA8; Glasgow G52 DO: G52, G53; Glenrothes DO: KY6, KY7; Gloucester North DO: GL3, GL4; Inverclyde DO: PA14, PA15, PA16, PA17, PA18, PA19; Johnstone DO: PA5, PA6, PA9, PA10, PA12; Kettering DO: NN14, NN15, NN16; Kingswood DO: BS15, BS30; Lichfield DO: WS7, WS13, WS14; Lisburn DO: BT26, BT27, BT28; Londonderry DO: BT47, BT48; Medway Valley DO: ME6, ME18, ME19, ME20; Northfield DO: B31; Northwich DO: CW8, CW9; Nottingham South DO: NG2, NG12; Paisley DO: PA1, PA2, PA3; Plympton DO: PL7; Pontefract DO: WF7, WF8, WF9, WF11; Renfrew DO: PA4; Seaham DO: SR7; Sleaford DO: NG34; St Helens DO: WA9, WA10, WA11; Stalybridge SUDO: SK15; Thornbury DO: BS35; Tipton DO: DY4; Warrington DO: WA1, WA2, WA4, WA5, WA55; Wellington DO: TA21; Westhill DO: AB13, AB14, AB32; Whitehaven DO: CA18, CA19, CA20, CA26, CA28; Whitwood DO: WF6, WF10; Wigan DO: WN1, WN2, WN3, WN4, WN5, WN6.
