Royal Mail has revealed the 121 postcodes that are facing delays. Problems have emerged due to staff shortages, exacerbated by sickness. The West Midlands has been particularly affected, with more than 60 areas experiencing delivery issues. In some areas, such as Shifnal, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Telford and Newport, there have been reports of ongoing problems and some people not receiving packages or mail since Christmas, leaving them frustrated. 

Shaun Davies, MP for Telford, even brought up the issue in the House of Commons, revealing that he has spoken to postal workers who said they have been told to prioritise parcels over post. “Posties have contacted me privately to tell me that they have been ordered not to deliver post and to prioritise parcels,” he told fellow MPS. Royal Mail has faced criticism over several issues in recent years, including missed delivery targets and building backlogs.

It said in a statement: “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.” The statement said that it will keep customers updated in the following 121 postcodes.

The 121 postcodes affected by Royal Mail delays are: