A bereaved Buckinghamshire woman was left in the dark when her street had no post for weeks. 

The Little Chalfont resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, lost her mother in August, and she’s trying to sort out her late mother’s estate while coping with the loss, including opening mail redirected to her house and paying outstanding bills.  

However, days and weeks went by in September without post deliveries to any of the Cumberland Close residents.

She said: “There’s the added complication that we didn’t have any post for two weeks from September 9 to September 22.

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“I don’t know what’s going to arrive." 

Dealing with the post was “distressing” as it added to the trauma of the loss, she said.

Post arrived again on September 26, and yesterday (October 3), but gaps in the delivery meant she risked missing payments for bills.

Some of the letters delivered yesterday were dated September 8.

In addition to the uncertainty over her own and her late mother’s mail, her son waited for his debit card for two weeks.

Although Royal Mail deliveries were recently affected by a workers' strike at the weekend, "this is now nearly a year there’s been problems with the delivery office in Amersham,” the woman said.   

While “vast majority” of mail is delivered safely and on time and aimed to be delivered six days a week, Royal Mail was “experiencing some delays to service due to high levels of sickness absence, Covid- related self-isolation and resourcing issues,” a company spokesperson said.

They added: “We apologise to any customers who may have experienced delays to their mail in Little Chalfont, including on Cumberland Close.”

Chesham and Amersham MP Sarah Green MP first raised “failing local postal service” with Royal Mail over a year ago, the MP told.

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She said: “A year on, my constituents are raising the same concerns and Royal Mail are providing the same excuses.”

 “At the start of September, Royal Mail wrote to tell me that Amersham Delivery Office has been “experiencing resourcing issues due to higher than normal absence for this time of year”.”

“While Royal Mail assured me that mail is being delivered rotationally every other day, rather than as a full six day a week service, my constituents tell me they have several weeks of missed deliveries.

“This is simply unacceptable.”

“During a cost of living crisis, it is particularly important to make sure that public services are working efficiently to support hard pressed families and businesses.

She asked Royal Mail to outline plans "to address current challenges" ahead of "Christmas rush approaching" and volume of post at Amersham office likely to increase. 

She added: "Royal Mail must take urgent action to avoid the chaos of last year.”