Residents and the local MP are calling for answers from Royal Mail following weeks of disruption
Residents in Carshalton and Wallington say they feel abandoned by Royal Mail, as postal delays continue and the company fails to meet national delivery standards.
Performance data shows just 70% of first-class mail was delivered on time in Croydon and 71% in Sutton, well below the legal target of 93%.
"It feels like we've been completely forgotten," said Anna, a Wallington resident who says she's gone weeks without any post. The delay, she added, has left her anxious about missing hospital appointments and unable to get answers from customer service after a 28-minute wait on the phone.
Another local, Anthony from Carshalton, said he and his wife had to collect urgent post from the sorting office after not receiving mail for over a week. "They're only dropping off parcels," he said, quoting a Royal Mail driver who claimed staff were told "not to bother with letters right now".
Royal Mail is legally obliged to deliver first-class mail within one working day. Last year, Royal Mail failed to meet delivery targets in all London postcodes, and, according to Lib Dem MP Bobby Dean, there don't appear to be any signs of improvement.
Dean, who represents Carshalton and Wallington, described the situation as "completely unacceptable" and said it's clear "Royal Mail is in disarray".
"When I contacted Royal Mail for an explanation, they simply said that they had 'operational issues'. That's not good enough."
He added: "Previous fines have clearly done nothing to change the company's behaviour. Communities across the UK depend on this service, and there is now an urgent need for greater transparency and accountability."
He has urged OFCOM to step in, citing repeated delivery failures and a lack of transparency from the company.
Residents and businesses over the border in Croydon experienced similar delays of up to two weeks over the Christmas period last year due to staffing shortages at Royal Mail's Factory Lane sorting office in Central Croydon. The disruption impacted the delivery of time-sensitive items, including NHS appointment letters and medical prescriptions.
Royal Mail attributed those delays to widespread staff sickness and issued a public apology.
In response to the recent delays, Royal Mail spokesperson said: "We acknowledge that our quality of service is not yet where we want it to be, and we're working hard to deliver the standard our customers in Carshalton and Wallington expect."