Arlington residents frustrated after not receiving mail for weeks

ARLINGTON, Va. - Frustration is boiling over in parts of Arlington after residents say mail delivery had been unreliable for months — before grinding to a near halt following a recent major storm.

Neighbors in the Old Glebe area say inconsistent delivery gradually turned into weeks-long delays, leaving households without critical letters, bills, prescriptions, and government checks.

"It’s very frustrating — very scary," said Rusty McFarland, who lives in the neighborhood. "When you hadn’t gotten mail for three weeks and then you get that day’s mail, that’s great — but where’s the old mail? My son actually got an insurance notification saying it’s going to cancel, but we never got the original bill."

What we know:

Several residents told FOX 5 that mail delivery had been spotty for months, with missed days becoming more frequent — but they say the situation deteriorated sharply after the storm, when delivery in some areas stopped almost entirely.

"We heard of people not getting their pension checks, retirement checks, disability checks — people getting statements that they are late on bills," said neighbor Lorig Armenian. "It’s very unsettling."

For weeks, residents say they repeatedly contacted the local post office off George Mason Drive, demanding answers and action. Some say mail has only recently begun to trickle back in — but many remain concerned about what may still be missing.

The United States Postal Service says the disruptions were caused by a recent major storm, compounded by ongoing employee availability issues. In a statement to FOX 5, USPS said postal workers have been "diligently working to restore mail service" and that the agency is holding hiring fairs to add staff.

What they're saying:

Still, residents say the explanation does not fully address months of inconsistent delivery leading up to the storm.

"Put the resources behind getting the backlog unmanned and getting the mail out there as soon as possible to the hands of those that need to receive it," Armenian said. "And the second is more transparent communication around how we’re going to get ahead of this so it doesn’t keep happening."

The issue has now reached Capitol Hill. Virginia Congressman Don Beyer addressed the delays in a post on X, saying he met with the Arlington Postmaster and received assurances that USPS will clear the backlog of undelivered mail by early next week.

Beyer added that a new manager has been hired and additional resources — including additional staffing — have been authorized to prevent future delays.

While some residents report seeing mail arrive again in recent days, many say confidence in consistent delivery remains low.

What you can do:

USPS encourages customers who continue to experience service issues to file complaints online at usps.com or call the national customer service line at 1-877-ASK-USPS.