For generations, sending a letter has been one of the simplest and most meaningful ways people in the UK stay connected, with birthday cards, handwritten notes, penpals, and messages of comfort.

Yet the cost of sending a letter through Royal Mail continues to rise dramatically while the quality of service continues to fall.

Stamp prices have climbed again and again, despite missed delivery targets and increasing public frustration.

If this continues, letters risk becoming a luxury rather than an everyday way for people to connect.

Letters are not just “old-fashioned mail”. They still play an important role in people’s emotional wellbeing and mental health.

A handwritten letter carries something digital messages cannot: time, care, and physical presence. Many people keep letters for years, returning to them during difficult moments for comfort and reassurance.

For people who are lonely, isolated, or struggling with anxiety, receiving a letter can be a powerful reminder that someone is thinking of them.

Rising stamp prices risk making this simple act of connection inaccessible to many people.

Not only that, but letters are also still essential for:

• Elderly people who rely on post as their main source of communication
• Small businesses that send cards, letters, and personal orders
• Communities built around penpals, slow mail, and handwritten communication
• Families who still treasure physical mail from Christmas cards to holiday post cards.

We are asking both Ofcom and the UK Government to:

• Prevent further stamp price increases until service standards improve.
• Protect affordable letter post as part of the UK’s universal postal service.
• Ensure any future price rises are linked to clear improvements in reliability and delivery times.

Letters are a small thing, but they carry enormous meaning.

Please help protect affordable letter post before it disappears entirely.