Changes are coming to the United States Postal Service in April, affecting millions of customers across the nation. The changes are intended to increase efficiency and reduce costs, but some people may receive certain mail later.
Some aspects of the plan have already begun, with an official start date expected soon. The second phase of the plan is scheduled to launch later this year.
According to USPS, the changes will save the organization $36 billion over the next ten years.
According to Pew Research Centers, the USPS is the second most popular federal agency, with 72% of Americans liking it. The National Park Service outperformed it, with a 76% favorability rating. NASA came in third, with 67%.
According to the USPS, the organization’s operations are funded by stamp and postage sales, as well as its products and services, and it rarely receives tax dollars to cover operating expenses. It is self-sustaining and independent.
President Donald Trump has criticized the service, which delivers to 163 million addresses and employs 530,000 people.
Since the rise of electronic communication, the agency has seen a significant decrease in first-class mail. According to Reuters, it has dropped 80% since 1997, with volumes at their lowest level since 1968.
It lost $9.5 billion in 2024. According to Government Executive, the USPS is expected to lose an additional $6.9 billion in 2025.
Trump wants to see it make a profit and has proposed merging it with the Commerce Department. This would end the USPS’s independent status and place it under his administration.
“It will be a form of a merger, but it will remain the Postal Service,” Mr. Trump said. “And I believe it will run much more smoothly than in the past. It is been a huge loss for this country.”
The Washington Post, citing postal sources, reported that the plan would “probably violate federal law.”
It was part of a story, also reported by The Wall Street Journal, in which anonymous sources claimed Trump planned to fire the postal service’s governing board via executive order. The White House denied that such an order existed, but Trump did confirm that a merger was under consideration.
Here’s what you should know about the confirmed changes to USPS services and mail delivery.
Postmaster strikes deal with DOGE, 10K jobs to be cut
In March, then-US Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced that he had signed an agreement with the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk.
The department had previously been exempt from DOGE cuts, but DeJoy reportedly informed Congress in a letter that USPS would eliminate 10,000 jobs over the next month through a voluntary early retirement program.
The reduction plan, announced in January, differs from the federal employee buyout offer announced for the majority of civilian federal employees. According to a news release from the American Postal Workers Union, employees who choose to retire early can receive a one-time $15,000 incentive paid in two installments.
DeJoy stated that the agreement with DOGE and the General Services Administration will assist in “identifying and achieving further efficiencies.”
Will Trump merge USPS? What if he does?
Musk has stated that he wants to see it privatized.
As a cost-cutting measure, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has suggested that postal workers conduct the United States census and perform tasks previously performed by Social Security employees.
According to Newsweek, if the merger goes through, it could result in office closures, slow delivery, increased costs, and layoffs. It may also have a disproportionate impact on rural areas.
Postal workers rally after DOGE threatens to dismantle USPS
Thousands of people came out to protest the cuts and proposals to dismantle the current system across the country.
“We had an election in November, and some people voted for President Trump, some for Vice President Harris, and some for other candidates,” said Brian Renfroe, President of the National Association of Letter Carriers, at a rally in Los Angeles. “Do you know what none of them voted for? “To dismantle the postal service.”
Social media posts depicted rallies in multiple states, including major cities and Washington, D.C. The hashtags were #fightlikehell and #hellno.
How will the new changes affect mail in Delaware?
The first round of changes began on April 1.
According to the postal service, certain areas may receive “2-3-day turnaround service within regions and specific local areas.”
Some post offices may have delivery extended by a day. The information provided did not specify which individuals could expect delayed mail delivery due to changes in regional transportation schedules.
“Under the new approach, while most mail will maintain the same service standard, some will be faster, while others will be slightly slower. The current service standard day range of 1-5 days for First-Class Mail will not change, but the day ranges for end-to-end Marketing Mail, Periodicals, and Package Services will be reduced. “All mail will benefit from more reliable service,” according to a USPS news release.
The Postal Service stated, “All packages will benefit from more reliable service.” USPS Ground Advantage will maintain its 2-to-5-day delivery timeframe. However, some shipping products will have a slower delivery range in the future.
Five-digit ZIP code add-ons are intended to speed up sorting and delivery when compared to the current three-digit pairs.
USPS already has an online map that shows customers how long it will take to deliver mail from one ZIP code to another. Customers can also look up service standards on usps.com.
Service standards will be “refined” to:
- First-class mail
- Periodicals
- Marketing mail
- Package services (Bound Printed Matter, Media Mail, and Library Mail)
- USPS Ground Advantage
- Priority Mail
- Priority Mail Express
When will the next changes to the Postal Service happen?
The next changes are scheduled to take effect on July 1. More details will be released closer to the date.
Could Trump privatize the Postal Service?
This would require congressional approval.
The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 established the postal service as an independent agency under the executive branch. The USPS is led by a Board of Governors appointed by the President and approved by Congress.
The president can make nominations but does not have direct oversight.
