Padiham woman with chronic illness fears Royal Mail postal delays will put her out of business

The entrepreneur, who runs an online shop, claims she waited at least three weeks for four packages containing business supplies to be delivered to her home by Royal Mail last month.

The 65-year-old, who retired early due to crippling arthritis, worries she must shut up shop and turn to benefits if postponements continue and lead to unfulfilled orders.

“It started to go downhill in November, but the past few months have been absolutely ridiculous. It’s been crazy.

"It's becoming harder and harder to run my business. It’s awful.

"The money I make is enough to live on and buy supplies. It’s kept me off benefits for two years. I did well in the pandemic and managed to support myself all that time.

"But if this carries on, I’ll have to stop my business.

"It’s serious, but no one seems to take it seriously.

“Every time there is an issue, I put a complaint in, then have to escalate it above them, and still, nothing gets done.

"I don’t know where to turn. It’s worrying."

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Every item of mail is important to us. We are always very sorry to hear reports of delays and would apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

The business owner relies on deliveries to access supplies as she sometimes struggles with mobility due to chronic illness.

"It’s not ideal to go on benefits, but I have bad arthritis, and some days I can’t walk, which is why I use Parcel Collect."

She claims her usual suppliers send her orders out the same day. Before last November, no incoming packages had gone missing in the post, and only one of the 4,500 she sent out has disappeared since she launched her business in 2020.

Among the missing items, she adds, was a compensation cheque from Royal Mail due to issues with their Parcel Collect service.

The delays are the latest blow following the pandemic and cost of living crisis to small business owners like her who rely on Royal Mail to access affordable product supplies from local sellers, she says.

"I could buy in bulk from China, but shipping is expensive, and I want to support small businesses. I can’t afford to go to big companies that want such a big order, and I've nowhere to store stuff [in bulk]."

Essentials have more than doubled in the past two months, she adds. Craft paper has soared from £5.30 a pack to £54.32 for four - equating to £13.58 each.

"I can get them cheaper, but I’m known for quality, and you can’t get the same quality for less.

"I don’t want to give up, but with the cost of living getting harder, some days I feel like I'm banging my head against the wall."

The Royal Mail is obliged by the Government to deliver post to every address in Britain, every Monday to Saturday.

But 97% of customers and small businesses say they "no longer need" mail delivered on Saturdays and that a five-day service would be enough, according to research by communications regulator Ofcom.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said its delivery obligation comes at a "significant structural cost" and requires "major reform" by the Government to be financially sustainable.