Royal Mail has released its last posting dates for Christmas. Customers can continue to post items as normal after these days but please bear in mind they might not make it in time for Christmas delivery. The last recommended dates are as follows:

Wednesday 17 December
2nd Class
2nd Class Signed For

Friday 19 December
Royal Mail Tracked 48^®†

Saturday 20 December
1st Class
1st Class Signed For

Sunday 21 December
Royal Mail Tracked 24^®

Tuesday 23 December
Special Delivery Guaranteed^®

Royal Mail has advised that not all mail was processed to schedule yesterday at the Nottingham Mail Centre. This is likely to cause delays in the following areas:

• Nottingham Mail Centre: Some mail posted in the DE and NG postcode areas yesterday, for delivery today in other parts of the UK.

Delivery delays have also been reported in the following areas:

• Aboyne SUDO (AB34)
• Altens DO (AB10, AB11, AB12 and AB35)
• Ashington DO (NE22, NE62-NE64)
• Belfast West DO (BT10-BT12 BT17)
• Bridge of Don DO (AB22 and AB23)
• Derwentside DO (DH8-DH9)
• Dinnington DO (S25, S26)
• Erskine DO (PA7-PA8)
• Folkestone DO (CT18, CT19, CT20 and CT50)
• Glenrothes DO (KY6, KY7)
• Gloucester North DO (GL3 and GL4)
• Hull Central DO (HU1-HU3, HU5, HU9, HU12, HU19)
• Inverclyde DO (PA14-PA19)
• Keith DO (AB55)
• Kilwinning DO (KA13)
• Lichfield DO (WS7, WS13, WS14)
• Lisburn DO (BT26-BT28)
• Lochgelly DO (KY5)
• Plymouth North DO (PL2, PL3)
• Pontefract DO (WF7,WF8, WF9 and WF11)
• Prescot DO (L34 and L35)
• Uddingston DO (G71)
• Washington DO (NE37-NE38)
• Whitehaven DO (CA18-CA20, CA26, CA28)
• Whitwood DO (WF6 and WF10)

Royal Mail has advised that some of its mail centres were unable to process all mail to schedule yesterday. Customers should expect delays in the following areas:

• Cardiff Mail Centre: Some mail posted in the CF, LD and NP postcode areas yesterday, for delivery today in other parts of the UK
• Nottingham Mail Centre: Some mail posted in the DE and NG postcode areas yesterday, for delivery today in other parts of the UK.

Royal Mail has advised that some of its Mail Centres were unable to process all mail to schedule yesterday. Customers should expect delays in the following areas:

• Nottingham Mail Centre: Some mail posted in the DE and NG postcode areas yesterday, for delivery today in other parts of the UK.
• Sheffield Mail Centre: Some mail posted in the DN, HU, LN and S postcode areas yesterday for delivery today in other parts of the UK.

Royal Mail has advised that not all mail was processed to schedule yesterday at its Nottingham Mail Centre. This will cause delays in following areas:

• Nottingham Mail Centre: Some mail posted in the DE and NG postcode areas yesterday, for delivery today in other parts of the UK.

Delivery delays have been reported in the following areas:

• Aboyne SUDEO (AB34)
• Altens DO (AB10, AB11, AB12 and AB35)
• Ashington DO (NE22, NE62-NE64)
• Ballindalloch SPDO (AB37)
• Bodmin DO (PL29, PL30, PL31)
• Bridge of Don DO (AB22 and AB23)
• Derwentside DO (DH8-DH9)
• Dunfermline DO (KY11, KY12, KY99)
• Folkestone DO (CT18, CT19, CT20 and CT50)
• Gloucester North DO (GL3 and GL4)
• Guisborough DO (TS14)
• Hull Central DO (HU1-HU3, HU5, HU9, HU12, HU19)
• Huntingdon DO (PE26-PE29)
• Hyde DO (SK13, SK14 and SK16)
• Ilfracombe DO (EX34)
• Inverclyde DO (PA14, PA15, PA16, PA17, PA18 and PA19)
• Inverurie DO (AB51-AB52)
• Jarrow DO (NE31, NE32, NE35, NE36)
• Keith DO (AB55)
• Kilwinning DO (KA13)
• Leatherhead DO (KT21, KT22, KT23 and KT24)
• Lichfield DO (WS7, WS13, WS14)
• Lochgelly DO (KY5)
• Mastrick DO (AB15-AB16)
• Plymouth DO (PL1, PL4, PL6, PL8, PL9)
• Pontefract DO (WF7,WF8, WF9 and WF11)
• Prescot DO (L34 and L35)
• Rotherham DO (S60, S61, S65, S66)
• Rugeley DO (WS15)
• Scarborough DO (YO11-YO14)
• Stonehaven DO (AB39)
• Tarporley DO (CW6)
• Uddingston DO (G71)
• Washington DO (NE37-NE38)
• Whitehaven DO (CA18-CA20, CA26, CA28)
• Whitwood DO (WF6 and WF10)
• Winterbourne DO (BS36)

Royal Mail has advised that not all mail was processed to schedule yesterday at some it Mail Centres. Customers should expect delays in the following areas:

• Nottingham Mail Centre: Some mail posted in the DE and NG postcode areas on Friday for delivery on Saturday in other parts of the UK.
• Preston Mail Centre: Some mail posted in the BB, FY, LA and PR postcode areas on Friday, for delivery on Saturday in other parts of the UK.
• Swansea Mail Centre: Some mail posted in the SA postcode area on Friday for delivery on Saturday in other parts of the UK.

Royal Mail has advised that not all mail was processed to schedule yesterday at the following Mail Centres:

• Bristol Mail Centre: Some mail posted in the BA, BS, GL and TA postcode areas, for delivery across other parts of the UK.
• Norwich Mail Centre: Some mail posted in the NR postcode area, for delivery across other parts of the UK.

Customers should expect delays.

Royal Mail has also reported delays in the following areas:

• Altens DO (AB10, AB11, AB12 and AB35)
• Bridge of Don DO (AB22 and AB23)
• Folkestone DO (CT18, CT19, CT20 and CT50)
• Gloucester North DO (GL3 and GL4)
• Hyde DO (SK13, SK14 and SK16)
• Inverclyde DO (PA14, PA15, PA16, PA17, PA18 and PA19)
• Kilwinning DO (KA13)
• Leatherhead DO (KT21, KT22, KT23 and KT24)
• Lochgelly DO (KY5)
• Pontefract DO (WF7, WF8, WF9 and WF11)
• Prescot DO (L34 and L35)
• St Helens DO (WA9, WA10 and WA11)
• Whitwood DO (WF6 and WF10)

Royal Mail has advised that not all mail was processed to schedule at some of its Mail Centres yesterday. Customers should expect delays in the following areas:

• Norwich Mail Centre: Some mail posted in the NR postcode area, for delivery across other parts of the UK.
• Nottingham Mail Centre: Some mail posted in the DE and NG postcode areas, for delivery across other parts of the UK.

Royal Mail has advised that not all mail was processed to schedule at some of its Mail Centres. Customers should expect delays in the following areas:

• Cardiff Mail Centre: Some mail posted in the CF, LD and NP postcode areas, for delivery across other parts of the UK.
• Carlisle Mail Centre: Some mail posted in the CA and DG postcode areas, for delivery across other parts of the UK.

Delivery delays have also been reported in the following areas:

• Bristol East DO (BS5)
• Carterton DO (OX18)
• Folkestone DO (CT18, CT19, CT20 and CT50)
• Gloucester North DO (GL3 and GL4)
• Hyde DO (SK13, SK14 and SK16)
• Inverclyde DO (PA14, PA15, PA16, PA17, PA18 and PA19)
• Kilwinning DO (KA13)
• Lochgelly DO (KY5)
• Oxford DO (OX1 and OX2)
• Pontefract DO (WF7, WF8, WF9 and WF11)
• Prescot DO (L34 and L35)
• St Helens DO (WA9, WA10 and WA11)
• Whitwood DO (WF6 and WF10)
• Wigton DO (CA7)

Royal Mail has advised that not all mail was processed to schedule at some of its Mail Centres. The following areas are currently subject to delays:

• Bristol Mail Centre: Some mail posted in the BA, BS, GL and TA postcode areas, for delivery across other parts of the UK.
• Gatwick Mail Centre: Some mail posted in the BN and RH postcode areas, for delivery across other parts of the UK.
• Norwich Mail Centre: Some mail posted in the NR postcode area, for delivery across other parts of the UK.
• Nottingham Mail Centre: Some mail posted in the DE and NG postcode areas, for delivery across other parts of the UK.

Royal Mail has advised that not all mail was processed to schedule yesterday at the following Mail Centres:

• Northern Ireland Mail Centre: Some mail posted on Friday in the BT postcode area, for delivery across other parts of the UK.
• Norwich Mail Centre: Some mail posted on Friday in the NR postcode area, for delivery across other parts of the UK.
• North West Midlands Mail Centre: Some mail posted across other parts of the UK over the weekend, for delivery in the DY, ST, TF, WS and WV postcode areas.

Customer should expect delays in these areas.

Royal Mail has advised that not all mail was processed to schedule at its Manchester and Plymouth Mail Centres yesterday. Customers should expect delays to mail in the following areas:

• Manchester: Some mail posted yesterday in the BL, M, OL and SK postcode areas, due for delivery today in other parts of the UK.
• Plymouth: Some mail posted yesterday in the PL postcode area, due for delivery today in other parts of the UK.

Royal Mail has reported that several of its Mail Processing Centres were unable to process all mail to schedule yesterday. Customers should expect delays in the following areas:

• Bristol: Some mail posted yesterday in the BA, BS, GL and TA postcode areas, due for delivery today in other parts of the UK.
• Home Counties North: Some mail posted yesterday in the AL, EN, HP, LU, SG and WD postcode areas, due for delivery today in other parts of the UK.
• London Central: Some mail posted yesterday in the EC, N, W1 and WC postcode areas, due for delivery today in other parts of the UK.

Royal Mail has also advised that the following areas are currently experiencing delivery delays:

• Barry DO (CF62 and CF63)
• Folkestone DO (CT18, CT19, CT20 and CT50)
• Gloucester North DO (GL3 and GL4)
• Honiton (EX14)
• Hyde DO (SK13, SK14 and SK16)
• Inverclyde DO (PA14, PA15, PA16, PA17, PA18 and PA19)
• Kilwinning DO (KA13)
• Looe DO (PL13)
• Maghull DO (L31)
• Oxford DO (OX1 and OX2)
• Patchway DO (BS32, BS34 and BS35)
• Pontefract DO (WF7,WF8, WF9 and WF11)
• Prescot DO (L34 and L35)
• Whitwood DO (WF6 and WF10)

Royal Mail has advised that not all mail was processed to schedule yesterday at its Norwich Mail Centre. Customer should expect delays in the following areas:

Norwich Mail Centre: Some mail posted in parts of the NR postcode area, due for delivery across other parts of the UK.

Royal Mail has also reported delivery delays in the following areas:

• Banbury DO (OX15, OX16, OX17)
• Banstead DO (SM7)
• Barnstaple DO (EX18, EX31, EX32, EX33, EX35 and EX37)
• Batley DO (WF5, WF15, WF16, WF17)
• Congleton DO (CW4, CW12)
• Darwen DO (BB3)
• Durham DO (DH1, DH6, DH7, DH97, DH98, DH99)
• Folkestone DO (CT18, CT19, CT20, CT50)
• Glenmoriston SUDO (IV63)
• Gloucester North DO (GL3, GL4)
• Holbeck DO (LS11)
• Hyde DO (SK13, SK14, SK16)
• Lee DO (SE12)
• Lerwick DO (ZE1, ZE2)
• Looe DO (PL13)
• Patchway DO (BS32, BS34, BS35)
• Prescot DO (L34, L35)
• Whitwood DO (WF6 and WF10)

We have been aware of issues sending regarding  sending tracked items to HMRC for some time and have covered this is past blog articles. We are still seeing the majority of items sent to HMRC with tracked services not showing any tracking updates and simply stating that they are “in transit” on the Royal Mail tracking. Previously we had advised our customers to use Special Delivery to send items but we are now finding that this service also fails to return any confirmation of delivery to HMRC addresses.

We would now advise customers not to use a tracked service to send items to HMRC and other government addresses such as DVLA and Companies House that receive a lot of mail as it is unlikely you will receive any delivery confirmation for your item. Tracked services can still be used as proof of posting, as they will show that we have dispatched the item but we do not expect them to provide a confirmation of delivery so would advise customers to use 1st or 2nd class mail for HMRC addresses.

It is currently not possible to track items on the Royal Mail website due to an issue with their website. The website currently displays the following message £Sorry, there was a problem, please try again”. Unfortunately we do not have access to any further information other than that from Royal Mail so cannot provide any tracking updates until Royal Mail resolves the issue.