Royal Mail's steepest hike targets the service behind NHS letters and tax notices

Royal Mail's access mail economy service — used for NHS appointment letters, HMRC tax notices, and bank mailings — faces a 36.1% wholesale price increase from 5 October 2026, part of an average 25% rise the Mail Users' Association called "unprecedented." Operators like UK Mail, Whistl, and Citipost will pass costs through to public-sector and financial clients. Sustained pricing pressure may accelerate digital migration for routine correspondence, though regulatory and accessibility mandates still require physical delivery for some mail.