Post Office has today (8 April) announced that following a Board decision it is moving to a fully franchised network.
Subject to government funding, the last 108 directly managed branches which are operated by the Post Office will be franchised by the autumn. This means that those communities that currently have a directly managed branch in their area will continue to be able to access Post Office services either at, or near to, the same location.
In November 2024, the Post Office announced its five-year Transformation Plan to deliver a ‘New Deal for Postmasters’. Subject to government funding to enable the Post Office to deliver its plan, postmaster remuneration will increase by an additional £250 million a year by 2030.
The Post Office confirmed in November that the future of its directly managed branch network would be under review. Directly managed branches generate a fully allocated loss (including central and support costs) of over £40 million each year.
Following consultation with unions and reviewing options with the Postmaster Consultative Council, a decision was taken by the Post Office Board to move to a fully franchised network in order to help fund increases in the remuneration postmasters receive.
“By franchising these branches, we are protecting access to our services for communities right across the UK and realising £40 million worth of savings that will enable us to uplift postmasters’ remuneration by up to 10 per cent,” Nigel Railton, Post Office chair, said.
“Over the coming months, we will continue to work with our unions to ensure that we treat our staff working in these 108 branches with care and respect through this transition, consulting with them on proposed changes. The 108 Post Offices will either stay in the same location where possible or be located close to the existing location, meaning customers will continue to have access to a full suite of products and services.”
The Post Office said it remains committed to meeting the current requirement to have a minimum of 11,500 branches across the UK and to meet the six Access Criteria set by th government.
