The Consumer Council has today published research on how any potential changes to the postal services Universal Service Obligation (USO) may impact consumers in Northern Ireland.
The research - ‘Qualitative study on the impact on consumers of changes to Royal Mail's Universal Service Obligation’ was carried out to gather the views of Northern Ireland consumers and has highlighted the value of the postal services and the USO to consumers.
Key findings:
Uniform pricing across the UK was considered very important by focus group participants, particularly by those selling items online.
For some more vulnerable participants, there was an emotional connection with their postal delivery person, who may be the only person they see on a particular day, an interaction to which they looked forward.
Among many participants from rural areas, there was a sense of community surrounding the Post Office helping to demonstrate the important role that post offices play to access the universal postal service.
The most important obligations were considered the frequency of delivery and collection of letters and parcels.
For older participants and those with disabilities, the frequency of letter delivery and collection was most important. This was primarily due to the number of medical appointments they were receiving via post.
For younger participants and those shopping online frequently, parcel collection and delivery was considered more important than letters.
The Consumer Council is calling for consideration to be given on how consumer protection can be enhanced in an evolution of the USO and to consider Northern Ireland’s unique position, and subsequently the Northern Ireland consumers unique experience, in any potential USO changes.
It is important that any changes to the USO, particularly regarding frequency and speed, considers the practical impacts that may impact on consumers.
Sean Breen, Director of Financial and Postal Services at the Consumer Council, said:
“The research has shown us how important postal services and particular elements of the USO are to consumers in Northern Ireland.
“Ofcom launched a call for input to gather views on the future of the universal postal service in January 2024. Following that process Ofcom have now set out their next steps to assess reform in postal services.
“We will continue to work with Ofcom, Royal Mail, consumer organisations and other key stakeholders to ensure Northern Ireland consumers and their views are represented in the reform process.”
View the full research https://bit.ly/USOresearch