4 months and still no passport, why is it taken so long??

chynal

4 months and still no uk passport, why is it taken so long??

The application is taken far to long.

No one has kept me up to date with what is happening.

The office have had the wrong date of birth and address for me, this has been confirmed to me by the call center members of staff in March. Even after me providing them with my birth certificate and a photo copy of my driving license and a letter from the HMRC.

To find out any information I have to ring the call center's nearly ever week since the office has had my application.

I am constantly told conflicting information, such as -

The original person who received my application back in late January early February told me all seemed to be fine with my application, he told me he was getting his manager to sign the application off so it would be issued, but from there his manager passed it on to the Security Team, and I was only made aware of this when I called for an update in February.

Waiting 48 hours or 24 hours for my calls to be escalated for a call back from the Liverpool office, its very rare I receive a call from the Liverpool office, and when I do not receive the call back I ask the call center staff why this has not happen, and I am told there was not a call escalation on their system, or the office staff do not need no further information they will not contact me, or if the office staff call me back they tell me its the first time they have seen a request on their system.

I then spoke to the Security Team in February, I was told they needed to do extra checks on my application and they can not tell me what the checks are and what the time frame will be, At the start of March I contact them again ask them how long is it going to be as I had not heard anything and I have numerous amount of times explain about going on holiday on the 4th July and needing to register a passport with the holiday company three months before traveling, I was then told I should receive my passport before April. This did not happen.

I have asked a member of call center staff can I just go to the Liverpool Office and try and sort this out in person, I have been told security may not let me in the building if I do not have any business with them on the day.

I have also lodged all what has happen with the passport complaints team and an adviser contacted me back, after I explained all that has happened to him, all his response was is all I can do is apologies.

When Ive next called Mid April I have been told the security checks are now complete by the call center's, however the application is now with the Examiners, and the Examiners now need to do their checks and there is no time frame to how long this can take, and the Examiners will not contact me back unless they need extra information.

After me calling the call center and getting nowhere, even getting a Labour Councilor involved who could not even get a call back from the passport office.
A member of staff from the passport office called me back at the start of May and said my application is not with the Examiners but is in fact with a checking department and when they have finished with their checks my application will then be checked by the Examiners. He also said a letter is being sent out to me, when I received this letter it asked me to confirm my name and when any previous passports where issued to me. I wrote a letter answering all the question being asked to me, but I am very angry as these questions could of been asked to me a long time ago.

I called the call center today who told me there has not been any updates on the system and they still have the month wrong on the system for my date of birth.

I am still waiting for any update from the passport office to what is happening to my application, I am just very aware of the fact I may lose my first holiday Ive ever been on.

I honestly feel very singled out, and I feel the passport office have not made this process easier and they have not made any effort to keep me up to date, surely after normal processing time frames, there should be more of an effort made by the office to keep me up to date or some kind of case worker / contact assigned me.

Just really dont know what to do, if I have no answers by late next week the only step I can see to take next is to ask my councilor to get my MP involved in this matter.

Has anyone gone through this situation or know of anyone else who has???? or do you have any tips for?

jonesMUFCforever

Did you track the application?

Perhaps they don't want you to have a passport?

chynal

I did my application through the post office, when I try and track it online, it tells me that the passport office will contact me with an email update, and the call center staff can only tell me they are doing checks and I will only hear anything if any more information is required from me, or when my passport will be issued.

It seems to look that way, looks like I'm not allowed to go on holiday.

Voyager2002

I suggest you write to your MP. Outline the problem, and also ask for the issue to be referred to the Parliamentary Ombudsman.

chynal

Yeah that was my next plan, I've contacted the examiners this morning who have said my application is up for review next week, so I should contact them by next Friday.

Really fed up of just waiting with no answers and no passport.

Will just give up till next Friday and then see where I stand.

Voyager2002

chynal wrote: »

Yeah that was my next plan, I've contacted the examiners this morning who have said my application is up for review next week, so I should contact them by next Friday.

Really fed up of just waiting with no answers and no passport.

Will just give up till next Friday and then see where I stand.

Why wait that long?

The MPs have just been elected: time for them to start earning their super-salaries, while you have already been kept waiting for far too long.

chynal

Thanks.

I have been in touch with my councillor and she has said wait to see what they say next week and if the application is not in the process stage then she is going to get the MP involved, she is not very happy herself has she has tried to find out information for me, but has been unsuccessful because of how the passport office conduct business.

Next stage will be next week now, fingers crossed for me.

tomtontom

You don't need to go through your councillor to speak to your MP. They're not really anything to do with each other.

chynal

I see thank you Tomtontom.

Well I will see what reply the passport office next week and if it's really not good enough the reply I will ask the MP to find out further information for me.

Voyager2002

chynal wrote: »

Thanks.

I have been in touch with my councillor and she has said wait to see what they say next week and if the application is not in the process stage then she is going to get the MP involved, she is not very happy herself has she has tried to find out information for me, but has been unsuccessful because of how the passport office conduct business.

Next stage will be next week now, fingers crossed for me.

Not a job for a councillor: so far as the passport office are concerned she is just another individual. Whereas an MP is effectively their employer, and has ways of contacting them that bypass the usual barriers that frustrate us mere mortals.

A councillor represents you on local government (and can get things done in relation to Social Services and other things that local government provide) while an MP represents you in national government.

chynal

Thank you voyager2002.

That really helped me a lot, I will definley be getting on to the MP next week, if this has not been cleared up.