Harrow Chronicle: Royal Mail reports delivery delays daily – find out who can claim compensation and the payment you receive if successful.

Royal Mail reports delivery delays daily, but are customers entitled to compensation if they are impacted? Delays have become a "problem" for Royal Mail recently, with new figures showing they are failing to meet delivery targets. Royal Mail said 91.6% of second-class mail was delivered within three working days, while 77.5% of first-class post was delivered the next working day between September 29 and November 30. These latest figures fall short of Ofcom's targets – 93% of first-class post should be delivered the next day, and 98.5% of second-class post should be delivered within three days. Royal Mail chief executive Alistair Cochrane said the recent figures mark an improvement on the previous quarter, but recognised the company's "performance in letters is still not good enough". Communication Workers Union (CWU) general secretary Dave Ward said delivery delays have become a "long-term problem" for Royal Mail, caused by a "recruitment crisis" which began back in 2022. How to find postcodes affected by the latest Royal Mail delays Royal Mail issues daily updates on the postcodes affected by delays. The list of these postcodes can be found on the service update page on Royal Mail's website. It reads: "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. "We're sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding." Compensation for delayed delivery by Royal Mail In some cases, Royal Mail may pay compensation to the sender or the addressee of a delayed item. You may be entitled to compensation in the following circumstances: 1st class – your delivery is three or more (six or more if Redirected Mail) working days late after the due date (next working day after posting) 2nd class – Three or more working days late (six or more if Redirected Mail) after the due date (3 working days after posting) Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm – One or more working day(s) after the due date (on guaranteed date as per product specification) Collect, send and return with ease at 8000 new Royal Mail Shops 📦 Find out more: https://t.co/6HqHxlvJdJ#parcel #parcellocker pic.twitter.com/UbvWxCPHt2 — Royal Mail (@RoyalMail) September 30, 2025 A further working day is added to delivery times for items posted within the Christmas and New Year period (except for Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm – not posted on account). Compensation will be different for items that are lost or damaged (see the Royal Mail website for more details). Royal Mail added: "In assessing lateness, postal packets conveyed to addresses designated by the regulator as exempted from a daily delivery obligation shall be examined on a case by case basis, taking into account the delivery arrangements. "Claims for delay must be made within 3 months of the date of posting or one month of the date of receipt. Royal Mail advises customers to claim as soon as possible after the event has occurred." Compensation payments for delays Compensation payments, provided by Royal Mail for customers affected by delays, are as follows: All retail services – Book of 1st Class Stamps Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm (not posted on account) – £5 (delay) or £10 (substantial delay) Evidence will need to be provided to prove your claim, a full list of which can be found on the Royal Mail website (a link to which can be found above). Royal Mail will contact the claimant with the outcome of their complaint within 30 calendar days. Have you ever experienced a delivery delay while using Royal Mail? Let us know in our poll above or in the comments below.