ST. LOUIS – Missouri U.S. Rep. Cori Bush sent a letter to the U.S. Postmaster General on Tuesday, seeking answers to apparent mail delays and disruptions in the St. Louis area.

Bush tells Postmaster General Louis DeJoy that there have been “significant and widespread delays to mail delivery” in Missouri 1st Congressional District, which covers the City of St. Louis and parts of north St. Louis County.

Some residents have informed Bush that they’re receiving essential documents like utility bills and social security checks in the mail weeks after key due dates.

“According to the United States Postal Service (USPS) service delivery dashboard, First Class Mail in St. Louis was delivered on-time only half of the time in the first week of February this year,” said Bush in the letter. “We have entire neighborhoods reporting they haven’t received mail for a full week at a time. These delays have a devastating impact on our seniors and folks with disabilities who rely on the timely delivery of these documents.”

FOX 2 noticed similar concerns rolling over into St. Louis County, reporting that some residents in and around Ferguson claiming that that their mail has been missing for months. In our January report, USPS officials told us that they are struggling with staff shortages not just in St. Louis, but all across the country.

“The postal service is committed to providing the best possible service to our customers and we apologize for any inconvenience they may have experienced,” USPS said in a statement to FOX 2 last month.

Bush seeks answers from DeJoy on several specific questions, including how USPS is trying to improve conditions for current and future workers, plus what steps USPS is taking to communicate on potential delays.

“Due to the serious negative impacts on the people of St. Louis, especially our most vulnerable, I ask that immediate action be taken to address these issues,” said Bush near the end of her letter.