A delay necessary to get mail delivered (4,3)
I believe the answer is:
time lag
'a delay' is the definition.
(a time lag is a delay)
'necessary to get mail delivered' is the wordplay.
'get mail' can be anagrammed to 'TIME-LAG'.
However, I am not clear how the anagram is indicated.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for time lag that I've seen before include "Gap between linked events" , "Delay" , "interval" .)