Ofcom fines Royal Mail £21 million for missed delivery targets

Ofcom has fined Royal Mail £21 million after determining the postal operator failed to meet its statutory delivery targets for first-class and second-class mail during the 2024-25 financial year, resulting in millions of items arriving late across the UK. The regulator said Royal Mail delivered just 77 percent of first-class post and 92.5 percent of second-class post on time, well below the required targets of 93 percent and 98.5 percent respectively.

Ofcom said the shortfalls mean customers did not receive the service they paid for when buying a stamp and that the failings are persistent. Ian Strawhorne, director of enforcement at Ofcom, said, "Millions of important letters are arriving late, and people aren't getting what they pay for when they buy a stamp." He added, "These persistent failures are unacceptable, and customers expect and deserve better," and urged Royal Mail to rebuild consumer confidence by delivering tangible improvements.

Under the regulatory standards, first-class letters are expected to be delivered within one working day of collection and second-class within three working days. Ofcom’s investigation concluded that Royal Mail fell short of those standards...