Estimated 15.7million people hit by postal delays charity says, as it calls for tougher review into Royal Mail | UK News

An estimated 15.7 million folks within the UK skilled postal delays final month, based on new analysis commissioned by the charity, Residents Recommendation.

Lots of those that skilled delays mentioned that they had suffered knock-on impacts, corresponding to lacking well being appointments, fines or payments.

One girl mentioned at the least 4 of her hospital appointment letters had been delayed throughout a “excessive danger” being pregnant.

Residents Recommendation Chief Government, Dame Clare Moriarty, described the extent of delays as “appalling”.

The charity additionally known as on regulator Ofcom to strengthen its present assessment of postal companies.

Royal Mail mentioned the 12 months 2022/2023 was “one of the vital difficult in our historical past” and mentioned its companies had been impacted by strikes and “excessive ranges” of workers absence.

The survey of greater than 4,000 adults surveyed between 25 Could and 5 June discovered practically one in three (31%) of these questioned – equal to be round 15.7million folks if replicated throughout the UK – mentioned that they had skilled a letter delay, whereas 22% mentioned that they had skilled a parcel delay.

Of those that responded, 15% mentioned that they had skilled a critical adverse consequence, together with lacking essential paperwork, lacking a well being appointment, or shedding cash via fines.

The charity additionally mentioned that its analysis confirmed how folks of color had been practically twice as doubtless (23%) to expertise adverse penalties because of letter delays in comparison with white respondents (13%).

In the meantime, 21% of disabled folks skilled adverse penalties because of letter delays, in comparison with 13% of non-disabled folks, based on the charity.

Winifred, a 24-year-old from Hemel Hempstead, informed the charity that in her being pregnant – thought to be “excessive danger” by medical doctors – she waited for a number of hospital letters that did not arrive on time.

“I used to be so stressed,” she mentioned.

Winifred, who now has an eight-week-old child, added: “One other time, I knew I had an appointment that week, however hadn’t acquired the letter so I went on to the hospital to ask when the appointment was.

“They informed me it was the following day – if I hadn’t gone to the hospital to ask, I’d have missed it.”

The Residents Recommendation report comes after MPs not too long ago highlighted proof that Royal Mail had prioritised parcels over letters and known as on Ofcom to analyze this problem throughout a variety of years.

The charity mentioned its analysis confirmed it was now not acceptable for Ofcom to have a business-as-usual strategy to its investigation and known as on the regulator to launch a multi-year assessment into mail delays and deprioritisation.

Learn extra:
Royal Mail could face Ofcom fine for missing performance targets
Royal Mail chief executive Simon Thompson resigns

Dame Clare Moriarty mentioned: “Royal Mail’s delays are nonetheless at appalling ranges and it is shoppers who’re being saddled with the results.

“Delayed put up’s been a difficulty for years and the issue is just getting worse. Ofcom should now do a full root-and-branch investigation into mail delays.”

A spokesperson for Royal Mail mentioned: “We’re sorry to any prospects who might have been impacted by our efficiency throughout a 12 months that has been one of the vital difficult in our historical past, with high quality of service materially impacted by the long-running industrial dispute with the CWU and compounded in some areas by excessive ranges of workers absences.

“Bettering high quality of service is a prime precedence and an enchancment plan is already underway.”

An Ofcom spokesperson mentioned: “We assess Royal Mail’s efficiency towards annual supply targets and we’re investigating its failure to satisfy supply targets for 2022/23.

“We take high quality of service severely. If we decide that Royal Mail has did not adjust to its obligations, we might take into account whether or not to impose a monetary penalty.”