Posting and collecting mail and parcels

Last updated: 10th March 2021

Note: This section has been archived as of 13th September 2021.

Posting and collecting mail and parcels

People who are self-isolating are not able to leave their homes to post mail or collect items from post offices, sorting offices or registered collection points. This is a task that you, staff or volunteers might be asked to help with. This section gives you some advice on how you can do this safely.

If you, your organisation or group are continuing to post mail or collect parcels as part of an emergency response to the Covid-19 crisis you should:

• observe current guidance from our public health agencies and Government on hand hygiene and social/physical distancing.

• follow the latest advice from Parcelforce and Royal Mail on posting and collecting items of mail and parcels.

• have a clear procedure in place for posting and collecting items of mail and parcels.

Suggested procedure for posting mail and collecting parcels

To post an item

• Arrange a mutually convenient time to go to their home address.  Call or message them when you arrive and ask them to leave the mail or parcel on the doorstep.  You should stay away from the doorstep at all times in line with the current recommended physical distancing advice.

• If you need to pay postage for any items of mail or parcels you should try to arrange an electronic transfer of cash either through your group or organisation, or to you directly. Paypal is a secure form of money transfer using the Goods and Services feature, although there is a fee for using this service.

• If required you should return with a receipt and post through their letterbox

To collect an item

• Parcelforce recommends that undelivered mail or parcels are rescheduled for a second delivery rather than collected from a post office or sorting office. This is to minimise the risk to their staff and other customers.

• If someone you are supporting receives an ‘attempted delivery’ card from Parcelforce or Royal Mail you should support them to arrange for it to be redelivered. This can be done online or by phone.  Parcelforce Redelivery Options provides more information about this. Parcelforce has extended the period of time that it will hold mail to 30 days.

• The person you are supporting may need items picked up from a local designated collection point. These are often local shops. Wherever possible you should support the person to rearrange a home delivery.  Where that isn’t possible you may need to collect it on their behalf.

• You should ask the person what ID is required to collect the item and arrange to pick it up from their home. They should leave the required ID in a ziploc bag or envelope on the doorstep and when they have gone back inside you should pick it up and take it to the collection point.

• When returning with the item of mail or parcel you should leave it, and their ID on the doorstep and move back a minimum of 2 metres, only leaving the premises once they have collected the item and gone inside.

Important: Current advice from Parcelforce is that there is no increased risk of coronavirus from routine mail and parcel services, however we recommend that you, staff and volunteers follow the current guidance from our public health agencies and Government on hand hygiene. 

Below are the stages of your delivery process which you should think about. Click on image to enlarge.

Links to important information in this section

• NHS Inform

• Health Protection Scotland

• NHS Hand Hygiene Poster: Hand Wash Technique and Hand Sanitizer Technique

• Hand Hygiene Soap and Warm Water Video 0:52 seconds

• Hand Hygiene Alcohol Based Hand Rub Video 0.42 seconds

• Post Office Coronavirus Help and Support

• Parcelforce Redelivery Options

We want to know what you think

Please get in touch if you would to comment on the advice or ask a question on anything we haven't thought of and we will do our best to get an answer.