Major parcel delivery firms in the UK have been put on notice that they could face substantial financial penalties if they are found to be breaching rules on complaints handling and support for disabled customers. Regulator Ofcom has written to leading operators after identifying ongoing concerns about service standards.

The watchdog said it is carrying out a further review of how companies are complying with existing regulations, following evidence of widespread customer dissatisfaction highlighted in a monitoring report published late last year. Ofcom warned that where operators fall short, it may pursue enforcement action or consider tightening the regulatory framework to better protect consumers.

Ofcom’s research shows that a quarter of customers remain unhappy with some aspect of the complaints process when dealing with parcel firms. While overall satisfaction has improved slightly since 2024, fewer than half of customers report being satisfied. Previous reviews have also found that disabled people are more likely to experience delivery problems and face additional barriers when raising complaints.

The regulator has called parcel operators into meetings to discuss their performance, particularly around fair treatment of vulnerable customers. Ofcom said failures in this area would be treated seriously, pointing to recent multimillion-pound fines imposed in other sectors for similar breaches. An Ofcom spokesperson said that although new rules introduced in 2023 have led to some progress, too many customers are still encountering problems. Consumer group Citizens Advice has also raised concerns, reporting a sharp rise in complaints about Royal Mail and describing its recent Christmas performance as particularly poor.

Parcel delivery firm UPS has announced plans to reduce its workforce by as many as 30,000 roles during 2026, as it continues to cut back the volume of parcels it handles for its largest customer, Amazon. The move forms part of a wider restructuring strategy aimed at reshaping the business and improving long-term profitability.

The company began scaling back its reliance on Amazon last year, shifting its focus towards higher-margin areas such as healthcare logistics. As part of this transition, UPS has already reduced its global workforce by around 48,000 positions. The latest reductions are expected to be achieved mainly through natural staff turnover, with a second voluntary severance scheme planned for full-time drivers.

UPS chief financial officer Brian Dykes said the company was targeting cost savings of around $3bn (£2.2bn) linked to what it describes as its “Amazon glide-down” strategy. Despite the job cuts, the business reported consolidated revenues of $24.5bn (£17.7bn) in the final quarter of 2025 and is forecasting revenues of $89.7bn (£70.9bn) for 2026.

Chief executive Carol Tomé said the company is entering the final phase of its accelerated plan to reduce Amazon parcel volumes, with a further one million parcels per day set to be removed from the network this year. She added that the deliberate downsizing of operations was being supported by tighter planning, automation and new technologies, helping UPS operate a smaller but more efficient delivery network.