Royal Mail delivery delays: which 27 areas in England are affected by hold ups in post and parcel deliveries?

Most people came to accept that delivery services - such as the Royal Mail - would experience some delays across the Christmas period.

However, two weeks into January there are still significant backlogs and delays to postal and delivery services across the UK.

Residents of certain areas have been told to expect delays, while some people claim they have waited over a month for important letters.

But what is causing delivery hold ups, and what areas are affected? This is what you need to know.

Why is Royal Mail expecting delays?

According to the Royal Mail website, the company is struggling to deliver its “comprehensive and high quality service” due to significantly higher demands, coupled with the coronavirus restrictions and changes to its depots and mailing centres.

The service has explained that a rise in demand for postal services has been caused by a combination of Christmas deliveries, as well as a considerably more online shopping due to the lockdown and subsequent closure of non-essential retail.

Additionally, depots and post offices are now restricted to the number of staff in any given premises, and staff are also required to operate under Covid workplace regulations.

A rise in coronavirus cases across England also means the Royal Mail have had increased staff sicknesses and staff required to isolate.

All of these factors are likely to have had an impact on the delivery of mail across the country.

The company has received backlash from those affected by the delays, with some people reportedly waiting over a month for letters, debit cards and Christmas post.

Residents of the 27 areas in England which have been affected by the delays have said contracts have failed to be delivered, people living alone who had no visitors over the festivities have yet to receive cards and letters from loved ones, and coronavirus vaccine appointments and letters identifying people as “high risk” have also been held up.

Has Royal Mail responded to complaints about delays?

On 14 January, the Royal Mail website posted a statement to the Service Updates section of it’s website.

The message read: “Royal Mail is working hard to deliver the most comprehensive and high quality service we can to all our customers, large and small. The combination of greatly increased uptake of online shopping, and the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, mean that all delivery companies are experiencing exceptionally high volumes.

“Every single parcel and letter is important to us. Despite our best efforts and significant investment in extra resources, some customers may experience slightly longer delivery timescales than our usual service standards.

“This is due to the exceptionally high volumes we are seeing, exacerbated by the coronavirus-related measures we have put in place in local mail centres and delivery offices to keep our people and customers safe.

“In such cases, we always work hard to get back to providing our usual level of service as quickly as we can. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”

What areas are affected?

The majority of the areas affected are in London, though some are scattered across England and one is in Northern Ireland.

The affected areas are:

Ashford (TN23-TN27)

Barnsley (S70, S71, S72 and S75)

Basildon (SS13-SS16)

Bow (E3)

Bury St Edmunds (IP28-IP33)

Chelmsford (CM1-CM3)

Christchurch (BH23)

Daventry (NN11)

Debden (IG7-IG10)

Enfield (EN1-EN3)

Grays (RM16-RM20)

Hampton (TW12)

Highbury (N5)

Hornsey (N8)

Horsham (RH12, RH13)

Ilford (IG1-IG6)

Leeds City (LS1-LS5)

Lewisham (SE13)

Magherafelt (BT45, BT46)

Margate (CT7-CT9)

Rugeley (WS15)

Somerton (TA11)

South Ockendon (RM15)

South Woodford (E18)

Upper Holloway (N7)

Wandsworth (SW18)

Wellington (TA21)

Widnes (WA8)

Can I get my post sooner?

While letters which have been held up by delays cannot be delivered any sooner than Royal Mail allows, if you have yet to receive contracts or other time-sensitive letters then you could contact the sender and ask if these could be sent electronically.

Contracts can now also be signed electronically, in some circumstances.

For people concerned they may have missed out on a coronavirus vaccine appointment due to delays in mail, you could contact your GP practice to find out if you have an appointment scheduled or to reschedule a missed appointment.

Those who may also be waiting on a letter from the government to inform them whether they are high risk can look at the guidance on the UK Government website to find out the criteria of clinically vulnerable and at risk individuals.

When will normal service resume?

Royal Mail has given no definitive date about when it expects mail for affected areas to arrive within the standard time frame.

Lockdown restrictions will remain in place until mid-February in England, with no news that restrictions in workplaces will be eased at this time.

Royal Mail has received complaints about delays to post since the pandemic began and defended its delays in December 2020, citing “exceptionally high volumes” of mail.

John Lewis, Boots and other retailers blamed the postal service for delays to deliveries on the run up to Christmas.