Price of stamps to rise in March

The prices of first and second class stamps are to rise by 1p from 27 March, Royal Mail has announced.

It will take the price of a first class stamp to 65p, and second class to 56p.

Royal Mail said the price rises were necessary to maintain the universal service – the principle that it delivers letters across the whole of the UK for the same price.

A stamp for large first class letter will rise by 2p to 98p. A large second class letter will go up by 1p to 76p.

The increases are in line with the rise in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), which rose by 1.8% in the year to January.