ORoyal Mailfailed to meet its target of delivering first-class mail anywhere in the UK over the last 12 months, shocking figures show.
There is a statutory obligation on Royal Mail to deliver 93 per cent of first class mail within one working day of receipt. However, figures released by the company show that, in 2022, delivery success ranged from 30.3% in the Hebrides to 82.1% in the city ofLondon.
The value of the Square Mile has been reduced by 9% during the 2021/22 year.
Users of postal services have expressed their anger at the unreliable service, with hospitals complaining that patients are missing important letters notifying them of upcoming appointments.
The judges also warned that the calls are coming in late, putting further strain on the criminal justice system.
One pensioner who spoke to MailOnline said she now sends important mail, such as birthday cards, at least two weeks in advance so it arrives on time.
The ongoing failures are part of a wider crisis facing Royal Mail, its parent company.this week they reported losses of over £1 billion.
Residents of Enfield, North London, have seen their on-time delivery prices drop alarmingly over the last 12 months.
Royal Mail's own figures show that in 2021/22, 77 per cent of first class mail arrived at its destination within one working day of collection. In the following financial year, it dropped to 65% - meaning residents and businesses in the area have the worst service in England.
The only worst places in the UK are the Scottish Isles.
In some areas such as Bromley, Kent,Residents are forced to drive to the sorting office to collect their mail as regular deliveries are not guaranteed..
It was reported that"postal deserts"they only get courier deliveries once a fortnight.
Between 2021/2022 and 2022/23, Royal Mail received over 623,500 complaints, resulting in compensation of £7,591,656.
Signaling the deterioration of the service, Royal Mail's own figures show a 25% increase in the number of complaints between 2021/22 and 2022/23.
The level of compensation paid has also increased from £3,511,471 to £4,080,185.
The vast majority of the compensation amount – around £5.5 million – was paid in lost mail. Another £500,000 was paid for delays.
In 2022/2023, Royal Mail officials agreed to hand over £208,036 to customers for damaged letters and parcels.
This is the crisis facing the company, the head of the company,Simon Thompson announced earlier this month that he was leaving the company.
Betty Zechbauer, 72, from Enfield, north London, says she posts important items, such as birthday cards, two weeks in advance because the service is unreliable. Despite the problems, he refuses to use any other carrier and believes that Royal Mail needs public support.
Figures released by the Royal Mail showed that first-class mail delivery at Enfield was the worst in England.
For Betty Zechbauer, 71, the poor service provided by Royal Mail is evident.
He said: “It definitely got worse. Deliveries are definitely slower and deliveries are less frequent.
"They've closed a lot of offices I think, which is a shame. Now whenever I go to the Enfield post office it's so full it takes so long.
"If they were more open, it would be easier for everyone: for employees and for customers."
Despite the problems, Ms. Zechbauer wants to continue supporting the delivery service.
He said: "I still always use Royal Mail and I don't use any other couriers because we have to support them."
"But when I send birthday cards to the publication, I make sure I send them two weeks in advance, just in case!"
Corina Stefan, 37, from Enfield, admitted: "The letters I sent arrived a few days later than they were supposed to, which is irritating."
Only 65 percent of first-class mail in Enfield is delivered within one working day of collection, well below the legal target of 93 percent.
Corina Stefan, 37, also lives in Enfield and has noticed the service getting worse over the years.
The visual assistant said, “I have noticed that it is getting a little slower.
"The letters I sent arrived a few days later than they were supposed to, which is annoying."
He added, "But it's not very often, just once in a while."
Other locals believe that the postal service is just one of many parts of the UK that are getting worse over time.
Toga Tachi, 25, who has lived in Enfield all her life, has seen services deteriorate around her.
Mr. Taci, who works for the local Nuffield Hospital, said: “I think it all goes down the drain, to be honest.
“I hate to be pessimistic, but I tell it as I see it.
“The Post Office is involved in all of this. It's much worse than usual. He needs support and help, like all of them right now.
"Everything in society is going downhill and degenerating, which is sad."
Between 2021/2022 and 2022/23, Royal Mail received over 623,500 complaints, resulting in compensation of £7,591,656
In Bath, pictured, around 73% of first class mail reaches its destination on time
Fiona Tripsman, 43, gets nervous sending things through the postal service due to the service's unreliability. The nursery worker, from Enfield, said: “You never know if something is going to arrive.
“That can be fine, but there's definitely a risk in submitting things for publication, even if you're missing a deadline or an anniversary or something because it's too late.
"It's definitely a problem."
Along with the delays, the price of shipping has become a source of frustration for many locals.
Linda Evans, 77, has stopped buying first-class stamps because of rising prices.
Linda from Enfield said: “I never go to first class because it's too expensive.
"I always come in second, even if it's still a little pricey."
However, Mrs. Evans had no issues with delivery delays.
He added: “I never had a problem with it.
"Everything seems to get there in one piece and on time."
CLICK TO READ MORE: Royal Mail faces Ofcom investigation into delivery failures
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Despite the disappointment of many, others in Enfield praise Royal Mail.
Blerim Guri, 35, has had no problems since moving from Stoke Newington a year ago.
He said: “I have no complaints. It was good here - okay. Everything arrived on time, it's very efficient.
“I moved from Stoke Newington a year ago and it was a bit of an issue as we lived in a studio apartment so sometimes we couldn't get things done as we were upstairs.
"But it was great here."
Mirena Tekin also has no problems with the post office.
The 50-year-old student said: “I didn't notice any problems, which I guess means it's fine.
"I don't have a problem with that. It's fine with me.
Others in the area don't even use the service anymore as we've moved into the modern age.
Vasos Menelau, 53, has not used Royal Mail for years.
The Enfield builder said: “I don't use it. I just use my phone - so much easier.
"I really don't need the Post Office."
Mrs. Akin, 50, also had no issues with Royal Mail delays.
The housewife said: “I never had any problems with the post office. It's fine with me.'
Alex Jarvis is from Ramsgate, Kent and uses Royal Mail a lot as he sends a lot of things to eBay.
The 34-year-old, who works for Waitrose, said: “I use it a lot for eBay.
“I'm using Tracked 48 now mail is bouncing. It's safer and cheaper, but still part of Royal Mail.
"I've never had a problem with it, and I ship a lot of stuff to eBay, so yeah, no complaints."
Only 70 per cent of first-class letters reach their destination on time in Newport, South Wales, according to Royal Mail data.
In Newport, South Wales, residents are also experiencing significant problems with their postal services, with complaints of 'junk' deliveries and mail frequently being lost.
Former postman Douglas Goring, 85, said: “I'm not surprised to hear it's gotten worse. Before there were two deliveries a day when I worked and now it's just one.
“I had a birthday card from my sister that went missing recently, it just never arrived and this has never happened before, she even asked me if I had forgotten the date, I called her blatantly and of course I had sent it.
“Of the people I talk to who are still in the service, they tell me that there are a lot of problems with the disease at the moment. I think people don't want to work. They have become inactive and don't want to get out of bed in the morning.'
Former postman Douglas Goring, pictured in Newport, Gwent, said he was disappointed with the current level of service. He said many of the problems were the result of "mismanagement".
Retired employee Lilian Parry, 78, said she noticed small differences in her service. He said, "The mail arrives much later now."
Goring worked for Royal Mail for seven years after being fired from his job as an engineer. He said: “I think there are a lot of problems now with mismanagement. You can't blame the workers for everything.'
Retired employee Lilian Parry, 78, said she noticed small differences in her service. He said, "The mail arrives much later now."
Former school cleaner Janet Stredwick said, "I didn't notice it got worse except when they were on strike."
Taxi driver Josh Coldrick, 31, said the local postal service was "crap". She said: “Like most people now I do all my shopping online but when I get stuff from Royal Mail it's terrible.
“I ordered some parts for my car and as I was waiting for the Royal Mail they took over a month to arrive, meaning my car was off the road for a month.
"This week I ordered something First Class and it's been three days and it still hasn't arrived."
Former school cleaner Janet Stredwick said, "I didn't notice it got worse except when they were on strike."
Mortgage worker Michalina Majer, 25, said: “I don't use the post very often but I recently sent a package to Poland and it still hasn't arrived and that was over a month ago.
"I don't know if the problem was in this country or Poland, but I would have liked to have watched it now."
Marketing manager Alisha Cadogan, 25, said: “I haven't noticed that it's much different, but I don't use it very often. I live in the country and we only post every other day."
Retired factory worker Wendy Lewis, 72, said: “I didn't get any letters when they went on strike a few months ago, but it's gotten better since then and I usually get letters every other day.
"It's hard to tell if the service is bad because you often don't know when someone has posted something."
Mortgage worker Michalina Majer, 25, said: "I don't use the post very often but I recently sent a package to Poland and it still hasn't arrived and that's been over a month."
Marketing manager Alisha Cadogan, 25, said: “I haven't noticed that it's much different, but I don't use it very often. I live in the interior and we only post every two days"
Former secretary Pauline Davies, 78, said: “My birthday was the 15th and every year I get a birthday card from my brother. He told me he posted it on the 11th and today is the 17th and it still hasn't arrived. This never happened before.
"I write regularly to a friend in Devon and I spoke to her on the phone recently and asked if she had received my letter and she said no and that was over a month ago."
The company blamed the strike on its poor financial performance, claiming the 18 days of strike cost the company £200m.
Another £20m was written off after Royal Mail was hit by a cyberattack in January, forcing customers sending international parcels to a temporary halt.
The figures come after Royal Mail last month struck a deal with the Communications Workers Union (CWU) which will see staff receive a 10% pay rise and a £500 lump sum payment.
Retired factory worker Wendy Lewis, 72, said: "I didn't get any letters when they went on strike a few months ago, but it's gotten better since then and I usually get letters every other day."
Former secretary Pauline Davies, 78, said: “My birthday was the 15th and every year I get a birthday card from my brother. He told me he posted it on the 11th and today is the 17th and it still hasn't arrived. This never happened before"
But it faces more turmoil, with chief executive Simon Thompson recently announcing he will step down by the end of the year and news earlier this week that Royal Mail is being investigated for failing to meet delivery targets last year.
CWU Secretary General Dave Ward said Royal Mail now faces "the biggest challenges in its 500 year history", adding: "We look forward to working with the company to try to change its fortunes and, of course, protect the jobs of our members and the services that Royal Mail offers to customers.
He said he believed Royal Mail was responsible for "the biggest corporate failure this country has seen in decades", adding that it had created "the most toxic atmosphere in any workplace".
"And mailmen, you know, want the company to succeed, but the company has to start taking the pressure off the frontline workers and work with us to make things right," he said.
FAQs
Royal FAIL: Where in Britain has the worst postal service? ›
The only worse places in the UK are Scottish islands. In some areas, such as Bromley, Kent, residents are forced to drive to the sorting office to collect their mail as regular deliveries are not guaranteed. It has been reported that 'postal deserts' are only receiving mail deliveries once a fortnight.
Is Royal Mail failing? ›Royal Mail has today announced that it did not meet the above performance targets in 2022/23, as it: delivered 73.7% of First Class mail within one working day; delivered 90.7% of Second Class mail within three working days; and. completed 89.35% of delivery routes for each day on which a delivery was required.
Why is Royal Mail in trouble? ›A CWU spokesman said: “It is clear Royal Mail Group are in a serious financial situation. This is as a direct result of mismanagement and recklessness at the most senior level of the company. Those individuals who have led the company into this crisis have no right to lead us out of it.
Has Royal Mail caught up? ›Please visit royalmail.com/services-near-youOpens in a new window for their opening times. Deliveries are operating as normal across the UK today. We aim to deliver to all addresses we have mail for, six days a week.
How reliable is Royal Mail? ›A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “The overwhelming majority of all mail is safely and correctly delivered by our postmen and women, with just one complaint for around every 10,000 items of mail handled by Royal Mail in 2020-21.
Is the US Postal Service struggling? ›The 2020-2021 United States Postal Service crisis was a series of events that caused backlogs and delays in the delivery of mail by the United States Postal Service (USPS). The crisis stems primarily from changes implemented by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy shortly after taking office in June 2020.
Why are Royal Mail losing money? ›The 507-year-old Royal Mail, which was privatised in 2013, is in the middle of a crisis, losing millions of pounds due to staff strikes in a long-running row over pay and conditions.
Is Royal Mail being asset stripped? ›That has been seen in the steady erosion of the universal service obligation, along with the recent announcement that Royal Mail will be split into two entities and potentially sold off to the asset-stripping company Vesa Equity Investment, which is currently its largest shareholder.
Who has stopped using Royal Mail? ›Currys has stopped using Royal Mail for parcel deliveries "for now" following a wave of strike action at the postal services firm. Alex Baldock, chief executive at the electronics retailer, said Currys used Royal Mail for "relatively few, smaller parcels".
Are Royal Mail getting rid of staff? ›Royal Mail has announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs by next August, blaming ongoing strike action and rising losses at the business. The postal company said it will begin notifying workers of its plan, which includes up to 6,000 redundancies.
How much Royal Mail goes missing? ›
Royal Mail figures are usually 1 in 1000 - that's 0.1%. Reported lost we get more like 1% - however most of those are returned by the post office uncollected. Buyer may not have received your message.
What was the great Royal Mail scandal? ›The Great Post Office Scandal: The fight to expose a multimillion pound IT disaster which put innocent people in jail (Hardback) On 23rd April 2021, the Court of Appeal quashed the convictions of 39 former Subpostmasters and ruled their prosecutions were an affront to the public conscience.
How big is the Royal Mail backlog? ›Post-Switch has rebutted Royal Mail's earlier claims to have reduced the backlog from 30m items last weekend to 5m by Monday.
Does Royal Mail deliver to USA? ›Royal Mail teams up with its sister company Parcelforce for international shipping including shipments to the USA. All international delivery services are full-tracked.
What is the most trustworthy Mail carrier? ›UPS is one of the most reliable shipping carriers available. At any time, you can track your package to find out exactly where it is.
What is the success rate of Royal Mail? ›Over 2020/21 Royal Mail fell notably below their target levels in many areas – for example delivering 74.7% of First Class mail the next working day, compared with its normal target of 93%.
How much money does the US Postal Service lose? ›The Postal Service has gotten rising costs under control, but mail volume losses are accelerating. The U.S. Postal Service has already lost $2.1 billion in fiscal 2023, according to new figures released by the agency, exceeding its expected losses for this point by 75%.
Does the US Postal Service make a profit? ›The U.S. Postal Service recorded a fiscal 2022 net profit of $56.0 billion, after a loss of $4.9 billion in the same period a year ago, due primarily to a one-time benefit of $57.0 billion recorded following the enactment of the Postal Service Reform Act (PSRA).
Who owns USPS? ›The Post Office Department was created in 1792 and became a Cabinet department in 1872. In 1971, Congress replaced the Department with the United States Postal Service, an independent entity within the executive branch.
Who is the largest shareholder of Royal Mail? ›The company's biggest shareholder is Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský, who controls the group Vesa Equity Investment. He has been dubbed the Czech Sphinx, due to his enigmatic business approach. Mr Křetínský, who also has stakes in Sainsbury's and West Ham United, became the largest shareholder at Royal Mail in 2020.
Is Royal Mail in debt? ›
IDS had £1.47bn of net debt on its balance sheet in September 2022, and Royal Mail expects to report an adjusted operating loss of £350mn-£450mn for the year ended 26 March 2022, and warned that further strikes “would continue to cause losses”. However, Royal Mail is just one part of IDS.
How many letters do Royal Mail lose every year? ›More than a million UK letters a month are being delivered to the wrong house, but few customers bother to complain, according to a new report. About 14.4 million items of post are lost every year, with 60 per cent simply put through the wrong letterbox.
What happens to Royal Mail lost items? ›The sender or the recipient of the item may both claim for a lost item but only one will be paid compensation. If both claim for the same item then Royal Mail will process only the sender's claim unless compensation has already been paid to the recipient.
Can I sue Royal Mail? ›Either the person who sent the item or the person receiving it can make the claim for compensation. If the item was sent using the Tracked 24 or Tracked 48 service, only the sender can claim compensation. It's usually easier for the sender to claim because they're more likely to have the evidence that's needed.
Who is Royal Mail accountable to? ›As the provider of the USO, Royal Mail is accountable to the postal services regulator, Ofcom, and, as the Minister responsible for postal services, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business and Trade.
Do Royal Mail try to deliver again? ›You don't need to book a Redelivery or collect your mail if you've received a yellow card, we'll automatically try and deliver it again the next working day. If we still can't deliver it, then we'll leave a red 'Something for you' card and you can collect it or have it redelivered in the usual way.
Will Royal Mail deliver again? ›Arrange a free redelivery to your house. Arrange a free redelivery to an alternative local address. Arrange a free redelivery to a Post Office® and collect it from there. Want your item as soon as possible?
Who is Royal Mail rival? ›International Distributions Services's competitors and similar companies include FedEx, Deutsche Post DHL Group, Auctane, XPO and UPS. International Distributions Services (also known as Royal Mail) is a postal service and courier company developing a network to deliver letters, parcels, and other products.
How much do Royal Mail staff get paid? ›How much does Royal Mail in the United Kingdom pay? The average Royal Mail salary ranges from approximately £19,000 per year for Sales Professional to £69,373 per year for Finance Partner. Average Royal Mail hourly pay ranges from approximately £6.82 per hour for Apprentice to £19.03 per hour for 7.5 Tonne Driver.
Why is the Postal Service so short staffed? ›Staffing issues, low wages and higher-than-expected online consumer purchases have all contributed to major worker shortages at the U.S. Postal Service.
Why is there so many Royal Mail strikes? ›
Why are Royal Mail workers going on strike? Royal Mail workers voted for strike action because of a dispute over pay brought about by the cost of living crisis, as inflation in the UK exceeds 10%.
Does Royal Mail have a lost property? ›The details that Royal Mail provide can help you understand your options for making a claim. For details on Royal Mail's policy for lost post, please visit their lost post compensation page.
What happens if Royal Mail didn't leave a card? ›If you missed a delivery but lost the red 'Something for you' card you can still arrange a redelivery to either your home or an alternative local address. For security reasons, without the card you can't collect the item from your local Customer Service Point or Post Office Counter.
What happens to all the lost mail? ›If possible, they are returned to the sender, and if not, they are inventoried, held until claimed, and eventually sold, or otherwise disposed of.
What is the US postal scandal? ›The Congressional Post Office scandal was the discovery of corruption among various Congressional Post Office employees and members of the United States House of Representatives, investigated 1991–95, climaxing in House Ways and Means Committee chairman Dan Rostenkowski (D-IL) pleading guilty in 1996 to reduced charges ...
Did Henry VIII found Royal Mail? ›The Royal Mail can trace its history back to 1516, when Henry VIII established a "Master of the Posts", a position that was renamed "Postmaster General" in 1710. Upon his accession to the throne of England at the Union of the Crowns in 1603, James VI moved his court to London.
Whose fault was the Post Office scandal? ›They had done nothing wrong. The blame in fact lay with Horizon, a faulty computer system designed by Fujitsu and imposed on their branches by Post Office management. It is currently being described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British history.
How much do Royal Mail lose a day? ›Mr Williams said: "The pandemic boom in parcel volumes bolstered by the delivery of (COVID-19) test kits and parcels is over. "Royal Mail is currently losing £1m per day and the efficiency improvements which are needed for long-term success have stalled."
How fast is Royal Mail to the US? ›Royal Mail advertises an average 3 - 5 working day delivery time for international parcels. International delivery lead time takes 6 - 7 working days for Royal Mail Standard services. Signed and tracked Royal Mail services can take 2 - 5 working days.
What's the longest a regular mail can take? ›Regular mail can take a maximum of 7 days to arrive. However, there are different delivery services through which you can send your mail quicker. Whereas priority mail can come quickly, forwarded mail can take slightly longer to arrive.
Which postal service is best from USA to UK? ›
| Service | Delivery Time | |
|---|---|---|
| USPS | First-Class International Service | 11-20 business days |
| UPS | Worldwide Expedited | 2-5 business days |
| UPS | Worldwide Saver | 6-10 business days |
| FedEx | International Priority | 3-5 business days |
Here are the alternatives to Royal Mail for letters: The Direct Mail Company (us) UK Mail. Citipost Mail.
What is the American version of Royal Mail? ›Brits deliver post at the post office, Americans deliver mail at the post office. >>
What do you call a female mail carrier? ›mail lady, postwoman, post lady.
Where do mail carriers go to the bathroom? ›According to them, if they have a mostly rural route, they find a grocery or convenience store than is somewhere near the center of their route and they use that place if they have to go. If they have commercial and industrial routes, they can often use their customer's restrooms.
Who has the best mail system in the world? ›Switzerland Has The World's Best Postal Service, US Is 7th - Postal Times.
Is UPS faster than Royal Mail? ›For domestic shipping within the UK, both the Royal Mail and UPS offer shipping solutions with a similar speed of delivery. Their express services provide guaranteed delivery on the next day, and other standard solutions offer lower prices, but longer delivery times.
Has Royal Mail ever made a profit? ›Annual operating profit of the Royal Mail FY 2013-2022
In the financial year ending March 2022, the company generated a profit of 758 million British pounds, representing a slight decrease compared to the previous year.
Priority Mail Express is the fastest mail service offered by the Postal Service. It provides guaranteed 1-Day or 2-Day expedited service by 3 p.m. for any mailable matter and includes $100 of insurance coverage. Priority Mail Express delivery is offered 365 days a year in many locations.
What is the future of Royal Mail? ›By the end of 2021/22 we'll increase the number of parcel sorting machines in our network from 20 to around 30, and want to reach at least 50% of parcels sorted automatically. Our new hubs will bring us another c. 15% when they start operating in 2022 and 2023.
What percentage of Royal Mail is lost? ›
Royal Mail figures are usually 1 in 1000 - that's 0.1%. Reported lost we get more like 1% - however most of those are returned by the post office uncollected. Buyer may not have received your message.
How long will the Royal Mail delays be? ›during this time you may experience a significant delay to your order - in excess of 14 days. How long will these delays be for? We anticipate up to 14 days of delays and disruption to the Royal Mail service whilst Royal Mail clear the backlog of post.
Will Royal Mail be striking in 2023? ›There is deep frustration, on both sides, following 11 months of stop-start negotiations over pay, jobs and conditions for the 112,000-strong workforce. There were 18 strike dates called last year and 2023 has seen the union and Royal Mail attempt to make progress at Acas.
Who has the most reliable postal services in the world? ›World's best postal services 2021
In 2021, Switzerland's Swiss Post demonstrated a perfect performance compared to other countries in terms of postal development. Switzerland is followed by other two German speaking countries in the global ranking of the best performing postal services, Germany and Austria.
Amazon is Royal Mail's biggest customer, accounting for 6% of all parcels.
Who is responsible if a Royal Mail parcel goes missing? ›Either the person who sent the item or the person receiving it can make the claim for compensation. If the item was sent using the Tracked 24 or Tracked 48 service, only the sender can claim compensation.
How much money does Royal Mail lose in a day? ›Mr Williams said: "The pandemic boom in parcel volumes bolstered by the delivery of (COVID-19) test kits and parcels is over. "Royal Mail is currently losing £1m per day and the efficiency improvements which are needed for long-term success have stalled."
Why is Royal Mail taking so long? ›Royal Mail explained that although they aim to deliver to all addresses six days a week, some branches are experiencing "local issues such as high levels of sick absence, resourcing, or other local factors".
What happens if Royal Mail don't deliver by 1pm? ›By 1pm delivery is subject to the addressee being in to receive the letter or parcel. Conditions apply. **Please keep your proof of posting receipt. If your item is not delivered on time we'll refund your money providing you have your proof of posting and claim within 14 days of posting.