Royal Mail is to cut the cost of the Royal Mail Redirection service for millions of lower-income households. From the 29th of November, all customers on Universal Credit, which covers six means tested benefits, will pay the equivalent of just £5 a month for a six or twelve-month redirection – equivalent to less than 20p a day.
Universal Credit customers who choose to take up the minimum three-month service will also benefit from improved discounts with a single customer paying a price of £22.50 (equivalent to £7.50 a month) and all other household sizes paying £30 (or £10 a month).
This follows the change in pricing structure in 2019, to be more reflective of modern society. The Royal Mail Redirection service price is no longer calculated on a ‘per surname basis’ and instead depends on the number of people, with a fee for the lead applicant and a smaller extra charge for each additional adult applicant. The service is free for children under 16-years-old. Customers can redirect their mail for three, six or 12-months at a time and renew it for up to four years.
The new concessionary price will be available for customers receiving any of the six means tested benefits that make up Universal Credit. These include: Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Working Tax Credit. For customers of non-working age, Royal Mail is also offering the new concession to those in receipt of Pension Credit.
The initiative builds on Royal Mail’s drive to give lower-income households more access to Royal Mail Redirection service. Customers on income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance and Pension Credit already receive a discount on the standard price of a Redirection. From the 29th of November, these customers will see their discount increase and brought in line with the new concession prices.
To further improve access to the Royal Mail Redirection service, they are also launching a new dedicated phone line for customers receiving Universal Credit and Pension Credit when they apply for the new discounted redirection rates.
“Moving home can be a difficult and stressful process. UK households rely on Royal Mail’s Redirection service for convenience and peace of mind. It helps to ensure they don’t miss important mail such as medical appointments and financial documents or fall foul of identity fraud. We want to make our Redirection service more accessible to lower-income customers. This will mean that everyone from single adults to larger households on Universal Credit can make significant savings on standard prices when they move home.”
– Nick Landon, Chief Commercial Officer, Royal Mail
