Passport not arrived - Travel next week!

gadjo

Hi

We applied for a first child's passport back in January and we still haven't received her passport. Since that time, we've been asked to submit a new photo (which was done online the same day) and also to send mummy's birth certificate - which was sent special delivery the same day but apparently takes 12 working days for it to be scanned onto the system. The Online tracking portal stated a letter would be issued on 19 April explaining the problems with the application, yet as of 25 April it still hasn't arrived. We are just a normal family; mummy and daddy are together, no name changes, both British born with valid passports and are due to go to Spain next week. This is really distressing time as our youngest still doesn't have her passport and it's looking highly unlikely it will arrive in time.

We've complained but haven't received a response, webchat is unavailable and 99% of the time the Passport Office cuts us off as they're too busy to accept calls, or, on the odd occasion we get through, we are then cut off as we are passed to a different team.

It's also now too late to pay for fast track as we already have an application in process, plus, there are no face to face appointments available prior to the holiday.

I don't expect anyone to be able to help, but if you do have any bright ideas please let me know!!

Exodi

As you've hinted at, I can't see that anyone on this forum can really help you with this and 'hindsight advice' is unlikely to be productive.

Personally, I think I'd start looking at whether you can recoup any costs for your holiday should you be unable to travel.

Have you actually physically spoke to someone on the phone about this. I know you say they're busy (which is understandable following a 2 year pandemic), but you really need to persist and get through to physically talk to someone and understand what's happening.

gadjo

Hi - Yes we've got through a few times (honestly between us, we've tried contacting them over 500 times, easily) - each time we have finally spoken to someone, they either apparently "send an urgent email" or pass us through to another team and that team will "send an urgent email". Nobody has been able to advise any detail on our application problems (the hold message even states that their customer service agents won't have access to that detail).

I'm in disbelief how useless the process is. It wouldn't be acceptable in my job so I don't understand how it is acceptable, pandemic or not.

Thrugelmir

gadjo said:

I'm in disbelief how useless the process is. It wouldn't be acceptable in my job so I don't understand how it is acceptable, pandemic or not.

The pandemic was a timely reminder as to just how quickly the world can disintergrate into chaos. There are only so many hours in a working day. There's nothing magical about clearing backlogs. Just months of hard graft. 

MalMonroe

I don't have any bright ideas (well, I do, but not about this). I just wanted to say that there's still time for the passport to arrive. Apparently they are currently taking 10 weeks to process and demand is 'very high'.

Have you tried phoning the numbers in this link? https://www.gov.uk/passport-advice-line

0300 222 0000

That is the number to use when you’ve applied for a passport and you’re worried about when it will arrive.
You could try phoning - they're open until 8pm each weekday and if it were me I'd just be pressing the redial button until they closed and then trying again the next day from 8am. And I wouldn't give up. Because this is very important to you. Just keep on trying. Don't phone the post office. Just try the HM Passport office. They're open for 12 hours each weekday.

It is of no help whatsoever but - for next time - the passport office does recommend not booking holidays until you actually have your passport/s in your hand. 

Ganga

MalMonroe said:

I don't have any bright ideas (well, I do, but not about this). I just wanted to say that there's still time for the passport to arrive. Apparently they are currently taking 10 weeks to process and demand is 'very high'.

Have you tried phoning the numbers in this link? https://www.gov.uk/passport-advice-line

0300 222 0000

That is the number to use when you’ve applied for a passport and you’re worried about when it will arrive.
You could try phoning - they're open until 8pm each weekday and if it were me I'd just be pressing the redial button until they closed and then trying again the next day from 8am. And I wouldn't give up. Because this is very important to you. Just keep on trying. Don't phone the post office. Just try the HM Passport office. They're open for 12 hours each weekday.

It is of no help whatsoever but - for next time - the passport office does recommend not booking holidays until you actually have your passport/s in your hand. 

Whilst i would agree BUT January to April for a passport !!! 

gadjo

Yes that's the number we've been ringing for weeks/months and is in to the hundreds of attempts.

quoia

Do you have absolutely no idea what "the problems with the application" could be ?

Any thoughts on the need for "mummy's birth certificate" given that obviously mummy has a valid passport and whilst I've never done it myself I presume that when applying for a child's passport IF one or both parents HAVE valid passports you would be probably be asked to provide numbers and issue dates etc. which would "perfectly" identify themselves

No mention of you sending or them requesting "daddy's birth certificate" ?

Just really thinking ahead that IF you did get in touch with them or this letter arrived tomorrow that you would still need to "correct" whatever it is that they think is wrong !

Agree that the length of time from initial application to now does seem rather excessive.

I've very recently applied for a renewal of my passport (that expired 18 months ago in November 2020 and I let lapse because of Covid and therefore I wasn't going anywhere ) and this is my timeline as shown on the online tracking


Application historyStatus .............................................DatePassport printed .........8:10am on 24 April 2022Application approved ...5:32pm on 20 April 2022Documents received ...3:48pm on 15 April 2022Application received ....4:45pm on 8 April 2022Application submitted ..4:45pm on 8 April 2022

I did it online with an uploaded digital photo taken by myself on my tablet
The "documents received" was just my old passport which I sent just 1st class and made the last post collection of 6pm on 8th April

Yesterday's (24th) text/email says
"Your new passport will be transferred to our delivery supplier in the next few days. When it’s ready for delivery, they will contact you with a tracking reference.

Your old passport will arrive separately and could take up to 2 weeks to arrive. It won’t be in the same envelope as your new passport."

Today's (25th) text/email gave strict instructions with regards to when I get it I must sign it with a BLACK BALL POINT pen and a URL that would show me exactly how/where to do this

Exodi

Perhaps unsuprisingly HMPO was being discussed on the radio (and in parliament) yesterday due to escalataing backlogs. It is thought that over 5 million people delayed applying or renewing their passports during Covid, and are doing so now they have the green light to travel.

https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2022-04-25/debates/D5A69761-EF07-4998-8CE0-A7505A786CEE/HMPassportOfficeServiceStandardTimes

onashoestring

@gadjo -is it possible that there was an issue with your counter-signatory ? 

Who did you nominate as counter-signatory ? Have you checked with that the person that they received the e-mail from from HM Passport Office and followed the instructions? On what date did they do this ? Did you give the correct e-mail address 
Or maybe the e-Mail went to their spam/ junk folder and they didn’t see it ? 

Also did the person met the requirements for a counter signatory ? 

https://www.gov.uk/confirm-identity-online-for-passport-application

TELLIT01

Ganga said:

Whilst i would agree BUT January to April for a passport !!! 

Last report I read was saying average 10 weeks for passport renewal.  First passports can/do take considerably longer apparently.