A grieving mother has been left devastated after the ashes of her son were lost by Royal Mail, and she was told she would not receive compensation.
Her son, who tragically passed away from suicide two years ago at the age of 27, had been a beloved figure in his community.
The mother had hoped to have him buried near his childhood home in Sussex, but after mailing his urn to a friend in the area, things took an unimaginable turn.
A Mother’s Heartbreak Over Lost Ashes
The mother, who lives in Somerset, mailed her son’s ashes First Class through Royal Mail, hoping to fulfill her wish of having him laid to rest where he had grown up.
However, after the urn failed to arrive, she contacted the postal service and was told that her son’s ashes had been sent to the wrong address.
What followed was an unimaginable response: Royal Mail informed her that they would not offer compensation because the ashes were considered to have “no intrinsic value.”
Royal Mail Refuses Compensation for the Loss
According to the postal service, the package containing the ashes was 359 grams heavier than the postal limit for human remains, rendering it ineligible to be sent by post.
They also mentioned that they could only “assume” a label from a different parcel had mistakenly been attached to the package.
After months of communication, the mother finally received a letter stating that while compensation was available, it was capped at just £20, which she was told was the “intrinsic value” of the contents, despite the fact that the ashes were priceless to her.
A Grief That No Money Can Fix
The heartbroken mother, who chose to remain anonymous, spoke with The Sun, expressing her deep distress.
“No money could replace my son’s ashes — they were priceless,” she said, adding that she only wanted to know what had happened to the lost urn.
In a gesture of goodwill, Royal Mail sent a £50 cheque, apologizing for the loss and claiming they had done everything possible to locate the ashes, but to no avail.
Royal Mail Faces Allegations of Mismanagement
This incident comes amid troubling reports about Royal Mail’s practices. Last December, it was alleged that postal workers had been instructed by higher-ups to “fake deliveries” so that managers could collect bonuses.
Lower-level workers accused their superiors of encouraging them to report parcels as “inaccessible” even if no attempt had been made to deliver them.
These claims sparked outrage, with postal minister Justin Madders calling for an investigation into the allegations.
While Royal Mail dismissed the claims as “nonsense,” they have added to concerns about the company’s management culture.
The grieving mother’s heartbreaking story highlights the devastating impact of this incident, and her desire for closure remains unanswered, while Royal Mail continues to face scrutiny for its handling of the matter.
