Overview
- Royal Mail, which issued a disruption alert Thursday, warned of late deliveries in Alfreton (DE55), Kidderminster (DY10, DY11, DY12, DY14), New Ferry (CH32, CH62, CH63) and Upton (CH30, CH49).
- The company cited high sick absence and resourcing gaps at a small number of delivery offices and said it will rotate rounds and send targeted support to cut delays.
- Postal services paused on Monday, May 4 for the Early May Bank Holiday and restarted on Tuesday, May 5.
- Ofcom fined Royal Mail £21 million in October for missing delivery targets, then from April 1 lowered the formal standards and removed Saturday Second Class rounds in favor of alternating weekdays.
- Royal Mail says a £500 million turnaround will lift First Class next‑day delivery to about 85% within nine months and meet Ofcom’s 90% target within a year, with Second Class hitting 95% by May next year and broader goals by May 2027.