Royal Mail issues major warning to UK households amid delivery delays

16 Feb 2026 • 9:27 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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  • Royal Mail has warned of potential service delays across more than 100 UK postcodes, attributing the disruption to recent storms and higher-than-usual staff sickness.
  • The company identified 38 delivery offices on Monday as being most affected, acknowledging customer frustration over delayed mail.
  • Reports indicate that some letters are being held in delivery offices for weeks, leading to people missing urgent correspondence such as appointment notices and bank statements.
  • Anonymous postal workers suggest that parcels are being prioritised over letters in some depots, even first-class mail, partly due to increasing online shopping volumes and space constraints.
  • Royal Mail is currently engaged in a dispute resolution process with the Communication Workers Union regarding proposed service changes, including Ofcom-approved plans to potentially scrap Saturday second-class letter deliveries.

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