Stampgate: The Conclusion

Yes, today is the day that the new stamp price rise hits, so if you didn't follow the crafty actions that some other people were taking, making a pre-emptory hoard of stamps, then it's a 60p charge from now on for First Class.

In percentage terms the price increase has been a hefty one, though upon stepping back one might remind oneself that it's only an extra 14p. But criticism of the rise points out that this increase will be hitting those who are already financially vulnerable. The people who tend to send more letters and postcards are the older generation, not consumed by email, and these people are often already in the pensioner low-income bracket.

Mr Duncan-Jordan, from the National Pensioners Convention, said that older people - often with an income of less than £10,500 - needed to look at every penny they spent, even if it was a small amount.

Source: BBC News

The Royal Mail presses that the rise was necessary, with the average family only spending about 50p a week on mail services now. In order to maintain the six-day delivery routine, something had to give.