You have until January 31 2023 to use up any existing Royal Mail stamps

This including seasonal ones such as Christmas stamps, under a major shake up to boost security.

After January 31 next year, stamps with the Queen's head and '1st' or '2nd' class written on them will no longer be usable, meaning to use them, you will have to pay a surcharge.

The only exception is ‘special' commemorative stamps, such as the Doctor Who collection, as these will continue to work until after January 31, 2023.

Royal Mail will let you ‘swap out’ any stamps that are due to expire for free. You will be able to exchange current stamps for barcoded ones for free under Royal Mail's new 'Swap Out' scheme, which opens on March 31, 2022 and will run until March 31, 2023. This will be via a 'Swap Out' form on the Royal Mail website.

You’ll then have to post the no-longer-valid stamps back.