Press release -
Post Office welcomes Government direction for long-term future of organisation
- Government publishes response to the Green Paper consultation on ‘the future of Post Office’
- Proposals maintain minimum requirement for 11,500 branches and access criteria
- Introduces requirement for over half of branches to be full time, full service
- 2,500 consultation responses submitted
Post Office CEO Neil Brocklehurst has welcomed the Government’s response to the Green Paper consultation on the ‘future of Post Office’.
Neil Brocklehurst, Post Office Chief Executive, said: “The Government’s Green Paper response provides direction for our network and recognises the essential in-person services our postmasters and partners offer to make everyday life easier for communities across the UK.
"The Government’s investment is also a vote of confidence in Post Office’s transformation. It means we can continue to upgrade branches and their technology to provide the modern and efficient retail experience which our customers expect from their local post office.
“We will continue to work closely with postmasters, partners and Government throughout Post Office’s transformation and, with the right conditions, I’m confident we will see a thriving Post Office network across the UK for generations to come.”
The Government’s response includes:
- New objectives: five priorities for the future of Post Office. These include protecting access to essential services, supporting high streets, strengthening culture within the business, and moving towards greater financial sustainability and less reliance on government funding.
- Network commitment: a continued commitment to a network of at least 11,500 branches.
- Branch standards: new expectations to improve branch consistency, with at least 50% operating full time and full service.
- Evolving services: support for the evolution of in-person services, including government and cash services
- Culture and inclusion: a focus on culture and inclusion, with a call for a strategy by Summer 2026 that will deliver these objectives and ensure a thriving Post Office network for the UK.
The Government’s announcement is available here and the full response is available here. The proposals are informed by over 2,500 submissions from postmasters, partners, stakeholders and members of the public during the Green Paper consultation, which ran between July and October 2025.
This is the first part of the Government’s response on the future of Post Office. The second part, covering culture, governance, and long‑term ownership models (including mutualisation), will be published after the second volume of the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry report
In the meantime, Post Office will continue to deliver against its Transformation Plan, backed by £483 million of Government investment over the next two years. This work is focused on driving income for branches, reducing central costs, modernising branch technology and customer experience, and strengthening the representation of postmasters and partners throughout the organisation.
Notes to editors
Green Paper Response: Future of Post Office
You can read Post Office’s full response to the Green Paper here
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About the Post Office
- With over 11,500 branches, Post Office has the biggest retail network in the UK, with more branches than all the banks and building societies combined.
- Post Office is helping anyone who wants cash to get it whichever way is most convenient. Partnership with over 30 banks, building societies and credit unions means that 99% of UK bank customers can access their accounts at their Post Office.
- Cash withdrawals, deposits and balance enquiries can be made securely and conveniently over the counter at any Post Office; and the biggest investment by any organisation or company in the last decade is being made to safeguard 1,400 free-to-use ATMs across the UK.
- Post Office is simplifying its proposition for Postmasters with a focus on its cash and banking; mails and parcels; foreign exchange; and; bill payments services.
- Research has found that visits to the Post Office help drive another 400 million visitors to other shops, restaurants and local businesses equating to an estimated £1.1 billion in additional revenue for High Street businesses.
- 99.7% of the population live within three miles of a Post Office; and 4,000 branches are open seven days a week.
