UK PASSPORTS - CHEAPER from SEPTEMBER

quoia

If you are renewing your passport in the near future it might be worth delaying a short while if you can

Cutting almost one in 10 staff and closing more than 20 passport interview offices will lead to the cost of a standard adult passport being reduced by £5, the Home Office said.

Overall savings of £40 million in the last financial year mean the cost of a standard passport can be cut from £77.50 to £72.50 from the autumn, Immigration Minister Damian Green said.

The fee will remain the same for at least the next two years and follows several “efficiency measures”.

These include the closure of 22 interview offices and one application processing centre, reducing staff numbers by 315 (9%) and working with suppliers to reduce costs, a Home Office spokesman said.

Mr Green said: “The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) has worked hard to provide value for money in the vital service it provides, and it is right that these savings are passed on to customers and fee-payers.

“Not only has IPS made the efficiency savings to make this possible, but it has done so whilst continuing to provide a very high standard of service to customers.

“The fact that IPS is able to deliver this price reduction is testament to the hard work of staff to deliver excellent customer service in ever more efficient ways.”

Sarah Rapson, chief executive of the IPS, said: “I am proud of the way that IPS has risen to the challenge of providing even more value for money in these tough times.”

Some 5.4 million passports were produced in the last financial year, with more than 99% of renewal applications in the UK processed within two weeks, Home Office figures showed.

The cost of a child’s standard passport will also be cut, down £3 from £49 to £46, and the cost of an adult’s fast-track passport, which can be processed in seven days, will fall £9.50 from £112.50 to £103.

You can apply for a new passport NINE months before an existing one expires (any unused time up to 9 months will be added to the new passport) so that you can maintain the requirement by several countries that when entering it is still valid for at least 6 months, so this may give flexibility to some to take advantage of this.

zagfles

Makes a change from the constant price rises over the last 15 years!

I renewed in 1996 for £18, in 2005 it was £42, and now it's £77!

DORIS_PALMER

But still couldn't refund the cost of ID Cards to those Citizens who chose to get them. Now I find I'm paying to subsidise the cost of a red booklet for others!

Mr_Wang

I think we all know the government giveth with one hand and taketh away with the other.

Expect APD rises.

Thanatos

So a 10% staff cut and 22 closed offices to save the average joe on the street £5 every 10 years - that's 50p a year- (assuming no price increases) - well done government!!!!!

Yes that was sarcasm!

gnus

DORIS_PALMER wrote: »

But still couldn't refund the cost of ID Cards to those Citizens who chose to get them.

I highlighted the essential word in that sentence. No one MADE you get it.

As an Irish passport is still cheaper, I am choosing to not renew my UK one in favour of an Irish passport.

claire16c

DORIS_PALMER wrote: »

But still couldn't refund the cost of ID Cards to those Citizens who chose to get them. Now I find I'm paying to subsidise the cost of a red booklet for others!

why on earth would you have got one of those?

POPPYOSCAR

Why are they making it cheaper? Why not just use the money for something else that needs it, like the NHS for example.

Gloomendoom

zagfles wrote: »

Makes a change from the constant price rises over the last 15 years!

These include the closure of 22 interview offices and one application processing centre, reducing staff numbers by 315 (9%) and working with suppliers to reduce costs, a Home Office spokesman said.

For me, knowing that my £5 saving (50p a year) is probably the result of someone losing their job rather takes the shine off it though.

gnus

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

Why are they making it cheaper? Why not just use the money for something else that needs it, like the NHS for example.

Last thing the NHS needs is money. It needs restructuring from the ground up.

aylithuk

Gloomendoom wrote: »

For me, knowing that my £5 saving (50p a year) is probably the result of someone losing their job rather takes the shine off it though.

I agree with you. Plus over the 10 years i think its good value.