Overview

• From July 28, second-class letters will no longer arrive on Saturdays and will instead be delivered on alternating weekdays under the reformed Universal Service Obligation.
• The next-day delivery target for first-class mail has been reduced from 93% to 90%, and the three-day target for second-class mail cut from 98.5% to 95%, with a new backstop requiring 99% of mail to arrive no more than two days late.
• As letter volumes have fallen from about 20 billion two decades ago to 6.6 billion in 2023–24, Ofcom estimates the reforms will save Royal Mail between £250 million and £425 million annually.
• Ofcom will cap stamp prices and conduct a public consultation on affordability next year.
• Royal Mail’s chief executive says the changes will bolster reliability and sustainability, while Citizens Advice warns that service cuts and relaxed targets may not improve performance.