TAMESIDE’S Labour MPs have met with Royal Mail over issues of delays in receiving post.
The Correspondent told how legal letters and health appointments have been missed because of the late delivery of post.
Now Ashton-under-Lyne MP Angela Rayner and her Stalybridge and Hyde colleague Jonathan Reynolds have fronted representatives from the body responsible over the problems.
Ms Rayner has been contacted by people who said they had missed medical appointments because the letters do not arrive until after the date, while others have faced enforcement action because of not receiving letters informing them of fines.
Both were told Royal Mail accepts the issues raised and it is sorry to hear how residents had been affected.
They also said they usually see a lull in mail volumes in January following the Christmas rush but had seen a higher than expected amount this year.
An increased use of economy services for mass mailouts was also highlighted as a reason for delays.
David Gold, Royal Mail’s director of external affairs and policy, assured the MPs data showed an improvement in the situation in February.
And he explained it is able to collect stats on a street-by-street level, so problems can be identified and addressed as swiftly as possible.
He also refuted the belief of many of the people who contacted Ms Rayner that post men and women are told to prioritise parcels over letters.
Mr Gold said that while health and safety regulations mean packages have to be shifted as quickly as possible so there is not a backlog at the sorting office, they are not given priority over letters.
Ms Rayner said: “I would like to thank the representatives from Royal Mail who listened to the concerns of myself and Jonathan Reynolds.
“Our constituencies are both served by Hyde sorting office following the closure of the Ashton office in December 2023, and it seems residents across both constituencies are experiencing very similar problems and delays with letters arriving.
“It’s good to know that Royal Mail collects data in such detail and they have agreed to share that with us so we can continue to monitor the situation.
“They are also recruiting additional staff, and I hope this will go a large way to resolving the issues that are raised with me on a daily basis.
“The Universal Service Obligation requires Royal Mail to provide a basic postal service to everyone in the UK, no matter where they live, at an affordable and uniform price that is set out in the Postal Services Act 2011 and regulated by Ofcom.
“It is not unreasonable for residents to expect letters to be delivered to their homes in a timely fashion.
“I will continue to hold Royal Mail to account on this issue and I would be grateful if my constituents can keep sharing information with me if they feel they are not receiving letters on time. Details can be emailed to angela.rayner.mp@parliament.uk.”