16 million people hit by Christmas post delays, says Citizens Advice - as service failures worsen
The number of people experiencing delays over Christmas has increased by 50% since 2024
5.7 million people missed vital letters about health appointments, fines and benefit decisions
Citizens Advice says not enough is being done to prioritise consumers
An estimated 16 million people (29% of UK adults) were burdened by post delays over Christmas, Citizens Advice has revealed.
A startling 5.7 million of those suffered serious consequences as a result - missing health appointments, fines, benefit decisions and important legal documents.
Aside from 2022 when Royal Mail took strike action, the charity’s annual research shows the number of people experiencing these issues over the festive period is now the highest in five years. In December 2024, 10.7 million people faced post delays.
As statutory watchdog for post, Citizens Advice says not enough is being done to prioritise consumers who have no choice but to put up with delivery delays and service cuts, despite ever-rising stamp prices.
Among those who send or receive post with Royal Mail, more than a third (36%) said they sent fewer Christmas cards in 2025 because stamps were too expensive. Another third (34%) reported not getting post for between one and three weeks at a time, then receiving a bunch of five or more letters in one go.
Almost a quarter (22%) of those who experienced post delays said they were left feeling anxious or distressed about benefits, bills, losing money and missing other financial information.
A declining service
Royal Mail hasn’t met a 1st class annual delivery target since 2017, or a 2nd class one since 2020. Despite this, the cost of a 1st class stamp has more than doubled since 2020, now priced at £1.70.
The charity is concerned service reliability could go from bad to worse. In July last year, the regulator Ofcom announced cuts to Royal Mail’s 2nd class delivery days, and new, lower delivery targets - as part of the review of the Universal Service Obligation (USO).
The company now only has to deliver 2nd class post every other weekday, instead of six-days-a-week Monday-Saturday, and these changes are expected nationwide this year.
Ofcom is now consulting on service affordability as part of the USO review, and will explore the future of the current price cap on 2nd class stamps, set to expire in April 2027.
For years, Citizens Advice has called for an end to Royal Mail getting away with charging consumers more and more for a failing service. It warns relaxing or removing price control measures only gives the company more leeway to do so.
Anne Pardoe, Head of Policy at Citizens Advice, said:
“We’re afraid there’s no light at the end of the tunnel for consumers struggling with Royal Mail’s persistent delivery failures. When people have no other postal provider to choose from, the sheer volume of delays is simply unacceptable.
“The company’s dreadful festive slump is about much more than late Christmas cards. People are left distressed after missing health appointments, fines and benefit decisions.
“This is a worrying trend, and with cuts to delivery days looming, Ofcom must start cracking down even harder on missed targets before things go from bad to worse. Any future stamp price increases should be conditional on Royal Mail meeting these targets.”
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Notes to editors:
Yonder Data Solutions surveyed 2,095 18+ UK adults between 5th-6th January 2026, to ask them about their experiences of letter delays in the past month.
When asked ‘Thinking about any post you've received from or sent with Royal Mail in the last month, has any of your post been delayed or not arrived at all?’ 29% said they had experienced a letter delay specifically - an estimated 16 million people (29% of UK adults). This population estimate was calculated using ONS 2024 Mid-2024 Estimates of the population for the United Kingdom.
When asked ‘Did you experience any negative consequences because a letter was delayed or didn't arrive in the last month?’ 36% of those who experienced a letter delay in the last month said they experienced a serious negative consequence as a result. This is an estimated 5.7 million people (10% of UK adults), calculated using the same population estimate data listed above. Almost a quarter (22%) of those who experienced post delays said they were left feeling anxious or distressed about benefits, bills, losing money and missing other financial information.
Examples of serious negative consequences include: missing important documents (insurance, legal or bank letter), missing a health appointment, missing a financial appointment (e.g. a job interview), losing money (having to pay more, fines), or not being able to pay a bill.
When asked, ‘Thinking now about Christmas cards for the holidays. If you sent fewer Christmas cards in 2025, what was the reason?’ 36% of people who send or receive post with Royal Mail said they sent fewer because stamps were too expensive.
When asked, ‘Some people have reported not receiving letters for a long period of time and then receiving a bunch of letters together. Thinking of the last month, is this an experience that you recognise?’ 34% of those who send or receive post with Royal Mail reported not getting post for between one and three weeks at a time, then receiving a bunch of five or more letters in one go.
Citizens Advice conducts this post delays research annually. In each respective year, the number of people who experienced post delays over Christmas are as follows: December 2024 - 10.7m people (22% of UK adults); December 2023 - 12.1m people (25% of UK adults); December 2022 - 31m people, partly due to Royal Mail strike action (60% of UK adults) and December 2021 - 15m people (28% of UK adults).
As 16m people experienced post delays in December 2025, this is an increase of 49.5% (5.3m people) when compared with December 2024, when 10.7m people experienced delays.
Royal Mail is exempt from its targets over the Christmas period.
Ofcom fined Royal Mail £21m in 2025, £10.5m in 2024 and £5.6m in 2023 for breaching its obligations relating to delivery targets, in the corresponding financial years.
While Royal Mail failed to meet its annual delivery targets between 2019 and 2022, Ofcom did not find the company in breach of its obligations because of the effects of the pandemic on its operations.
Last year, Ofcom announced changes to the Universal Service Obligation (USO). As of July 28th 2025, Royal Mail only needs to deliver 2nd class post on alternate weekdays, instead of six-days-a-week, Monday to Saturday. These changes have not yet come into full effect across the UK.
Ofcom lowered Royal Mail’s headline delivery targets as part of the changes to the USO, which mean that from April 1st 2026, Royal Mail will be required to deliver 90% of First Class Mail within one working day (instead of 93%), and 95% of Second Class mail within three days (instead of 98.5%).
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