Overview
- Royal Mail announced on Tuesday its final recommended UK posting dates for Christmas: Second Class by December 18, Tracked 48 by December 19, First Class and Tracked 24 by December 21, and Special Delivery Guaranteed by December 23.
- To handle higher volumes the company has hired 22,000 seasonal workers, added thousands of hire vans and haulage contractors, expanded Sunday processing and extended deliveries up to 8pm.
- The operator agreed with the postal workers' union this week to pause rolling the second‑class delivery reform out to the remaining offices until January so staff can focus on the peak period.
- Royal Mail says service performance has improved year on year with 85% of first class and 91.4% of second class items delivered on time in the latest period, while it acknowledges more work is needed to meet Ofcom targets.
- Senders are urged to post early, check local branch final acceptance times and consult Parcelforce and country guides for international and BFPO cut‑offs because separate deadlines and return timings apply and published dates may change.