Post Office (PO) branches focusing on prepaid parcels and bill payments are on the rise as the government-owned company continues to cut full branches.
New drop & collect services increased by 374 between March 2023 and March 2024, bringing the total to 606, according to a new House of Commons report. This brings the total number of post offices to 11,805, the highest the network has seen since 2012, but highlights the changing nature of services.
At the end of March 2024 there were 9,250 standard agency branches which offer full services. Fourteen percent fewer than in March 2009.
Number of crown and rural post offices also falls
Meanwhile, rural branches are also in decline. Losses have been seen most heavily in Northern Ireland and Wales. Scotland has seen the largest reduction of 8.3% while London has seen the biggest increase of 4.6%.
The report follows the announcement in November 2024 of a five-year transformation plan, promising a new deal for postmasters.
Interim chair of the PO, Nigel Railton, said then that the deal “significantly increases postmaster’s total annual income through revenue sharing and strengthens their role”. However, it is still subject to government funding.
Crown post offices, which are directly managed by PO, have also seen a drop. “This suggests that these Crown branches will be closed or be run by someone else,” the report concludes.
By law, the PO network must have a network of at least 11,500 branches to retain its government subsidy. Since 2019/20 the PO has received £50m a year “to help ensure that there are affordable post office services in rural areas”.
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