Royal Mail's postal delivery performance has sunk to the lowest level since records began, new figures show.
Some 73.7pc of first class deliveries were completed on time in the year to March 2023. It marks the worst performance since figures were first published in 2007.
Royal Mail, whose chief executive quit last week following a year-long row with the 115,000-strong union, is also suffering from staff shortages, rock bottom morale, and teething problems as bosses try to streamline postal rounds.
The 2022/23 are worse than the 74.7pc recorded in 2020/21 during the pandemic, when the company had to contend with lockdowns and mass staff shortages because of Covid infections.
The first class target is 93pc on-time performance. Royal Mail failed to achieve this figure in any of the UK's 118 postcode areas.
Second-class performance was better – but still well below the minimum standards required by law. Some 90.7pc of second-class deliveries were on time against a target of 98.5pc.
The figures follow revelations in the Telegraph last week that “postal deserts” had sprung up across the country, leaving households starved of deliveries for up to a fortnight.
Grant McPherson, Royal Mail operating chief said: “We’re sorry to any customers who may have been impacted by our performance during a year that has been one of the most challenging in our history.”
Citizens Advice estimates that around 12.3 million Britons have experienced letter delays in the last month.
Matthew Upton, Citizens Advice executive director said: “Royal Mail's poor service is now business as usual. Quarter-on-quarter, year-on-year, it’s marred by delays and hasn’t hit its first class delivery target in four out of the last five years.
“Our own research shows letter delays have left millions of people missing important post, like health appointment letters, for three years running.”
Today’s figures will be closely scrutinised by Ofcom, the postal regulator, which has powers to impose a fine of up to 10pc of Royal Mail turnover for failing to meet standards that are enshrined in law.
In theory, this means Royal Mail could be hit with a penalty of as much as £750m – an amount that would risk bankrupting the company.
But in practice it is likely to be significantly lower. In 2018/19, Royal Mail was fined just £1.5m when it delivered 92.6pc of first-class mail on time. It was granted special dispensation during the pandemic.
Mr Upton said: “Citizens Advice has repeatedly called on Ofcom to clamp down on Royal Mail’s poor performance, but to no avail. Enough is enough. It’s time for the regulator to act, not just on the poor results from this quarter, but to address years of failings.”
Simon Thompson, a former executive at Apple and Ocado, announced he would step down after two years running Royal Mail. He became the focal point of union anger in a dispute where tempers allegedly boiled over on the picket lines.
His predecessor Rico Back also only lasted two years, again after clashing with the company's main union, the Communication Workers Union.