Royal Mail is potentially considering raising the price of first class stamps in the near future, a move that could further frustrate customers already dissatisfied with the slow service. While an official decision is pending, the postal company has a history of implementing price hikes around early April.
In the previous year, the cost of a first class stamp increased by 5p to £1.70, following a substantial surge from 76p in 2020, representing a 124% rise. The current price for a book of eight first class stamps stands at £13.60. Although second class stamp prices are capped, they rose from 65p in 2020 to 87p last April.
Reports from Royal Mail whistleblowers suggest that daily mail rounds are being missed and parcels are being prioritized over letters due to the company operating beyond its capacity. Numerous postal workers from various regions in the UK revealed delays in their offices, with parcels consistently taking precedence over letters as confirmed by the majority of respondents.
Amid concerns, a Royal Mail representative acknowledged the challenges faced and emphasized their commitment to resolving issues promptly. External factors such as severe weather conditions and increased sick leave have caused temporary disruptions in certain delivery routes. The company assured customers of their ongoing efforts to enhance service levels and minimize delays.
It is expected that the quarterly figures from Royal Mail, to be released before the end of February, will indicate a failure to meet delivery targets once again. Last year, the company incurred a substantial £21 million fine for falling short of first and second class delivery benchmarks, marking the third-largest penalty imposed by Ofcom on any organization.
Royal Mail’s performance in the 2024-25 financial year highlighted significant gaps in meeting delivery targets, with only 77% of first class mail and 92.5% of second class mail delivered on time. This marked the third consecutive year of fines for non-compliance with service obligations since being acquired by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky.
Recent changes have allowed Royal Mail to reduce second class letter deliveries to five days every two weeks, with alternate weekday schedules in place. However, negotiations with the Communication Workers Union regarding these alterations are ongoing, and concerns persist about the future improvement of services. Craig Anderson from the CWU expressed doubts about Royal Mail’s ability to enhance services, branding the company as being in a state of crisis.
Furthermore, Royal Mail has cautioned about potential service disruptions across more than 100 UK postcodes due to adverse weather conditions and higher absenteeism rates among workers.