Overview
- Royal Mail reported that for the 12 months to March 31 it delivered 75.7% of first‑class letters the next working day and 90.2% of second‑class letters within three days, missing Ofcom’s statutory targets.
- Ofcom fined Royal Mail £21 million last autumn for earlier failures and has said it will open further scrutiny after the latest annual shortfall.
- New postcode‑level figures show every UK area fell short of the 90% first‑class next‑day target, with Paisley recording the worst performance at 62.7%, and several major towns below 70%.
- Royal Mail has begun a nationwide change to its delivery model and pledged £500 million over five years, with plans to stop Saturday second‑class deliveries and move to alternate‑weekday second‑class runs, and the CWU has accepted a deal on pay and working arrangements.
- The company says performance improved after the reporting year, delivering more than 80% of first‑class mail next day in April and May, but regulators, unions and consumers will watch whether the reforms restore reliability and avoid further penalties.