'I raised your concerns over why important letters are being delivered late' MP speaks to postal service
“I raised your concerns about important letters and why many are received late”
Fleetwood Delivery Office has piloted the new Royal Mail USO scheme but customers are concerned that important letters are received late.
MP Lorraine Beavers visited the Fleetwood office to find out how it works and how staff and customers are finding the new setup.
The Universal Service Obligation has been developed by Royal Mail with The Communication Workers Union as the number of letters have dropped and parcels have increased, meaning significant change to the experience of staff and customers.
She said: “I raised your concerns regarding important letters, such as medical appointments, and why many are received late.
“The new USO does mean that second class letters may be delivered less frequently but they are also often received in bulk from large organisations several days after being "posted" through third party companies such as Whistl.
“Fleetwood Delivery Office confirmed that they are working to prioritise these letters and over the next few weeks will be making tweaks to their current system which will see them head out for delivery as soon as possible.
“Please reach out to me if you have ongoing concerns about receiving post - [email protected]
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What is the Universal Service Obligation?
It’s a legal requirement to provide a six-day-a-week, one-price-goes-anywhere letter service to all 32 million UK addresses. It means that second class and non-priority letters will be delivered every other weekday. First class remains six days a week.
Why are the changes in place?
It guarantees that every address in the UK, regardless of location (rural or urban) receives the same service at the same price.