Last week I got a phone message, supposedly from BT, on my landline answering machine. It apologised for problems with BT mail, which would be sorted the next day, and re-assured that no emails would be lost. I had been sending and receiving emails as normal, with no problems, so don't know what that was all about.
Are you talking about the new format that started some months or even a year ago, or have you got the new version which I was informed was coming soon, but haven't got yet? For a while my current version asked me to sign in every time, but not recently. I got around the 'going round the houses' by putting my email page into my favourites list and accessing it that way. It does annoy me that I am not alerted to new messages unless I go to my inbox, but otherwise it seems to work well.
I am dreading the next 'New Mail'. Even more so now, if that is what you are referring to! I am a technonumpty! I hope things improve for you soon.