The UK’s postal service is facing important changes, and Ofcom—the regulator responsible for keeping it affordable and accessible—is asking for your views, specifically on stamp prices. This review will help shape how Royal Mail and postal services operate in the future, including stamp prices, delivery standards, and support for vulnerable users. Your response matters because it helps ensure the postal system works for everyone, from everyday households to small businesses. This guide breaks down the consultation questions into simple terms and offers ideas on how you can share your honest experiences and opinions. Whether you send lots of letters and cards or just occasionally, your voice can influence how postal services serve communities across the UK.
How to Respond to Ofcom’s Postal Consultation – Quick Reference Guide
Now I don’t know about you but I found some of the questions a bit technical and I had to use too much brain power for my liking to understand them, nevermind formulating my answers. So, I’ve written a guide that hopefully helps you think about what to say in each section, without me telling you what I think you should write!
Click here to go to Ofcom’s consultation. You’ll find their explanation of the consultation and what they want to know and at the end there’s a further link to download the response form to fill in. Details of where to email your completed form to, are on the form itself.
- Q2.1 – About the aims of the review:
“Here you can share if you agree with Ofcom’s main goals (making sure post remains affordable and accessible), or if you think something’s missing. You might mention what’s important to you about the postal service.” - Q2.2 – About Ofcom’s planned approach to the review:
“Do you think Ofcom is focusing on the right issues? You could mention how you’d like them to consider customer needs, rural access, the social benefits of letter-sending, or anything you feel is missing.” - Q3.1 – About affordability assessment:
“Share if you think Ofcom’s way of checking affordability (looking at how much households spend on post) is fair and realistic for you. How do stamp prices affect you or your family?” - Q3.2 – About survey findings:
“Do you agree with Ofcom’s early findings, such as most people not struggling much with prices? Tell them if your own experience matches or is different, maybe at busy times like Christmas.” - Q4.1 – About possible discounts for people on low incomes:
“Say whether you support a scheme offering cheaper stamps for some people, or if you have concerns or ideas for making post cheaper and fairer for everyone.” - Q4.2 – On the details of a discount scheme:
“You can suggest ways to make any discount or social tariff fair and easy to use, or highlight any challenges you think there might be.” - Q5.1 – About possibly changing price regulation:
“Share any views on whether Ofcom should keep controlling stamp prices or let Royal Mail set their own. You might mention if you think current prices reflect real affordability.” - Q5.2 – On pricing for other delivery companies:
“This is a technical one—say if you care about whether other companies should be allowed to deliver letters, or if you most value a strong, single postal service.”
In each section you could share your stories or examples. What happens in your household? What changes have you noticed over the past 20 years, say, and why do you think that is. Write the responses in your own words. You don’t have to be eloquent, just honest. Focus on what matters to YOU.
Finally – please share with family and friends so that Ofcom hears our voices. The last consultation Ofcom did on the postal service got just 90 responses from across the UK – let’s make sure it’s a lot more this time!
