Royal Mail risks huge fine after Ofcom launches probe into 'unacceptable' delivery target failures

Royal Mail risks huge fine after Ofcom launches probe into 'unacceptable' delivery target failures Regulator Ofcom has launched a probe after Royal Mail fell "well short" of letter delivery targets again last year Watchdogs have opened an investigation into yet another year of Royal Mail missing letter delivery targets. The privatised postal giant admitted last week that for the year to March only 75.7% of first class mail was delivered the next working day – well short of its then-target of 93%. Only 90.2% of second class mail was delivered within three working days – way below its 98.5% target. It meant hundreds of millions of items, from greetings cards to hospital appointments, turning up late. Delays are a bugbear from households and businesses, especially given a surge in stamp prices. Regulator Ofcom branded the latest failure “unacceptable” as it confirmed it had opened an investigation. The move could lead to Royal Mail being hit with another hefty fine. The firm has been landed with more than £37million worth of penalties for delivery failures in the past, including £21million in 2024/25. The threat of a fresh fine came as Ofcom put pressure on Royal Mail to speed up a modernisation programme. It said it expected Royal Mail to begin implementing the improvement plan “immediately”. The regulator agreed to eased pressure on the firm by allowing it to delivery second class letters to on alternate weekdays. It has also lowered its delivery targets going forward. Ofcom said: “While Royal Mail is now making progress, it has taken almost a year to begin the process of implementing the delivery reforms. In the meantime, service levels have remained unacceptable.” Ian Strawhorne, enforcement director at Ofcom, added: “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.”