Royal Mail has issued an urgent update to all UK households, warning that there will be no deliveries or collections on Monday, May 4, due to the Early May Bank Holiday. The delivery firm, which typically aims to deliver letters and parcels six days a week across the nation, confirmed the service suspension.
No Postal Service on Bank Holiday
In a statement, Royal Mail said: "There will be no deliveries or collections of mail on Monday, 4 May." Over the weekend, services ran as usual on Saturday, May 2, and Sunday parcel deliveries took place on May 3. The company added: "We deliver and collect your mail on most days of the year, including Saturdays. However, we don't usually deliver or collect on public or local holidays."
The disruption affects all postcodes across England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. Normal service is expected to resume from Tuesday, May 5.
Recent Criticism and Turnaround Plans
Royal Mail has faced criticism over late deliveries, and its owner Daniel Kretinsky recently faced questions from MPs. Speaking to the Commons Business select committee, Kretinsky said: "Of course I am deeply sorry for any letters that arrive late. It is not perfect, but it is not catastrophic."
Last month, Royal Mail vowed to meet its letter delivery targets by May 2027 as part of a £500 million turnaround plan. Part-time staff will be offered the option to work longer hours to improve service. The changes will include axing Saturday Second Class deliveries and moving to alternate weekdays—three days one week and two days the next.
Royal Mail said the reforms and planned investment will see First Class Next Day delivery improve to around 85% within nine months, reaching the 90% target set by regulator Ofcom within a year. The firm also pledged to deliver 93% of Second Class letters within three days over nine months, hitting the 95% target by May next year.
Fines and Target Adjustments
Royal Mail was fined £21 million by Ofcom in October for missing delivery targets after it delivered 77% of First Class post and 92.5% of Second Class post on time in 2024-25. From April 1, Ofcom lowered the targets: First Class post to be delivered the next day from 93% to 90%, and Second Class within three days from 98.5% to 95%.
Alistair Cochrane, chief executive of Royal Mail, said: "We recognise our service hasn't always been the standard our customers rightly expect and we're determined to do better. The plan we've set out today shows how we'll make a step change in performance across the UK, backed by £500 million of investment over the next five years."
