An estimated 16 million people (29% of UK adults) were affected by postal delays over Christmas, according to research by Citizens Advice.
The charity’s research shows the number of people experiencing postal delays during the festive period is at a five-year high, excluding 2022, when Royal Mail strike action significantly disrupted services.
In 2024, 10.7 million people faced postal delays, compared with 12.1 million in 2023 and 15 million in 2021.
In December 2022, 60% of UK adults (31 million people) were impacted by postal delays, largely due to Royal Mail strike action.
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 receiving mail for one to three weeks at a time, followed by receiving five or more letters at once.
As the statutory watchdog for postal services, Citizens Advice warned that insufficient action is being taken to prioritise consumers. The charity called on regulator Ofcom to take tougher enforcement action.
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.
“The company’s dreadful festive slump is about much more than late Christmas cards. People are being left distressed after missing health appointments, fines and benefit decisions.
“This is a worrying trend, and with cuts to delivery days looming, Ofcom must crack down harder on missed performance targets before things go from bad to worse. Any future stamp price increases should be conditional on Royal Mail meeting these targets.”
In October, the regulator Ofcom fined Royal Mail £21m for missed delivery targets in the 2024/25 financial year.
New reforms to the universal service obligation, set out in July, mean Royal Mail must deliver 2nd class post every other weekday, instead of six days a week, Monday to Saturday. These changes are expected to be rolled out nationwide this year.
Citizens Advice expressed concern that service reliability could deteriorate further. However, Royal Mail has previously said that where it has piloted universal service changes, the model is working, with improvements in deliveries.
