UK communications regulator Ofcom has opened an investigation into Royal Mail’s failure to meet its delivery targets for 2025/26, after the operator posted performance figures well below its regulatory obligations.
Royal Mail’s annual results for the year ending March 2026 show that 75.7% of First Class mail was delivered the next working day, against a target of 93%. Second Class mail delivered within three working days reached 90.2%, short of a 98.5% target.
The investigation follows regulatory reforms introduced by Ofcom in July 2025, which modernized Royal Mail’s obligations to reflect a steep decline in mail volumes – from 20 billion letters annually two decades ago to 6.5 billion in 2025. Changes included permitting Second Class letters to be delivered on alternate weekdays rather than six days a week.
Royal Mail has since reached an agreement with the Communication Workers Union to implement new delivery patterns and expects to complete the rollout by Christmas 2026. The company has committed to investing £500m over the next five years and has set out a quarter-by-quarter plan to meet delivery targets by April 2027.
Ian Strawhorne, enforcement director at Ofcom, said, “A reliable postal service is vital to many people across the country. We share the deep frustrations of customers who have missed important letters because of Royal Mail’s consistent failure to improve its service over the years. While the company is now making progress through its improvement plan, we will continue to hold it to account for its unacceptable performance to date.”
Ofcom measures Royal Mail’s delivery performance against nationwide annual targets through independently audited testing of hundreds of thousands of mail items each year. The regulator said it will consider all relevant factors in determining whether a breach occurred, including parcel prioritization and any exceptional events outside the company’s control. A financial penalty may be imposed if a breach is confirmed.
Ofcom has previously fined Royal Mail more than £37m (US$50m) for delivery failures.
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