Royal Mail has issued a service update (Image: Getty)
Royal Mail has issued a major service announcement for all postcodes throughout the UK. The postal operator aims to deliver letters and parcels to residential and commercial addresses six days a week.
Nevertheless, the company has faced criticism over delayed deliveries alongside increasing stamp costs next week. Now, Royal Mail has released an urgent notice to anyone awaiting post this weekend. On Friday, April 3, there will be no deliveries or collections made by Royal Mail as it is Good Friday.
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In Scotland, however, services are operating as normal.
Disruption is set to continue across Easter weekend. Royal Mail’s usual weekend delivery and collection services will run on Saturday, April 4.
Its Customer Service Points will also be open so people can collect missed items. On Sunday, April 5, only Sunday parcel deliveries are expected to take place. On Easter Monday, there will be no deliveries or collections of mail, reports the Mirror.
This week, Royal Mail has issued disruption alerts for postcodes throughout the UK due to delays in certain delivery offices. Royal Mail said: “We aim to deliver to all addresses we have mail for, six days a week.
“In a small number of local offices, this may temporarily not be possible due to local issues such as high levels of sick absence, resourcing, or other local factors.
“In those cases, we will rotate deliveries to minimise the delay to individual customers. We also provide targeted support to those offices to address their challenges and restore our service to the high standard our customers would normally receive.”
It added: “We’re sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.” The most recent delays have hit Birmingham, Grimsby, Lichfield, New Ferry, Pontyclun and Yate.
There will be delays to the usual post service (Image: Getty)
The disruptions come amid mounting criticism over Royal Mail’s late deliveries. Just last week, its owner Daniel Kretinsky told MPs: “Of course I am deeply sorry for any letters that arrive late.”
Nevertheless, he rejected claims that Royal Mail’s track record for late letter deliveries was worsening. Addressing the Commons Business select committee, Mr Kretinsky said: “It is not perfect, but it is not catastrophic.”
Next week, customers are bracing for a stamp price hike, with First Class stamps rising to £1.80 and Second Class to 91p. The price of a First Class stamp back in 2020 stood at just 76p.
Royal Mail attributed the increases to soaring delivery costs as letter volumes declined while the number of addresses continued to grow.
Royal Mail’s Easter schedule
Friday, April 3 (Good Friday)
- There will be no deliveries or collections of mail except in Scotland, where services are operating as normal.
Saturday, April 4
- Royal Mail’s usual weekend delivery and collection services are expected to take place Customer Service Points are open.
Sunday, April 5 (Easter Sunday)
- Sunday parcel deliveries are expected.
Monday, April 6 (Easter Monday)
- There will be no deliveries or collections of mail.
