Passport not arrived - Travel next week!

quoia

[snip]

gadjo said:

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.

[/snip]
Just to clarify ...

Are you married or not?
Maybe got married since getting your current passports ?

Do you have other children ?
IF so are they same as "youngest"? Same mummy & daddy - not "step" or adopted?
And presumably they have passports ...  which didn't have similar problems in obtaining?

quoia

onashoestring said:

@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

And that they had all the details - not sure that this is absolutely clear regards counter signatory confirming identity of "applicant" (parent or parents) or child or both/all

https://www.passport.service.gov.uk/help/confirming-identity/how-to-confirm-identity

QUOTE

What the applicant needs to do

As the applicant, you need to:

Check who can confirm your identity
Contact the person before giving their details to HM Passport Office
Make sure they know your address and date of birth, including the year
Sign into your application to enter the person’s name and email
If you’re applying for a child, the person you ask must be able to confirm where the child was born as well as their parents’ names and years of birth.

What the person confirming an identity needs to do

As the person confirming someone’s identity, you’ll receive an email from HM Passport Office. The email includes a link and a reference to sign in online.

You’ll need to:

Enter the reference from the email and the applicant’s date of birth
Provide your passport details and current address
Answer a few questions about how you know the applicant
Confirm some of the applicant’s details
Check a digital passport photo
This takes about 10 minutes.

If the applicant is a child, you’ll need to answer a few questions about how you know the person making their application. We need to confirm the person applying has parental responsibility.

smudge56

gadjo said:

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!!

Since it has been over 10 weeks since your application, you will be eligible for the expedited Service  - ie a free upgrade.  You will have to phone the call centre and tell them you want an upgrade as its been over 10 weeks since you submitted your application.  They will then email one of the offices who will call you.  You will need proof of travel.  They are working on travel dates so you won't be contacted until a couple of days before you travel, but your passport will be sent by next day delivery service or pick up if you are close to a passport office.  
If you have already done this - just wait until you are called.  Continually calling just causes more work for the already overworked staff

sheramber

But there seems to be  problems with the application which have been referred to the OP in the letter he is awaiting, rather than just sitting in a queue.

The Online tracking portal stated a letter would be issued on 19 April explaining the problems with the application, 

onashoestring

@Gadjo , this was reported in the news yesterday - a similar case or maybe it is you ?

“Labour MP Stephanie Peacock, for Barnsley East, raised the case of a mother who submitted her daughter’s passport application in January – five months in advance of their holiday next week – but has yet to receive one.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/04/26/shambolic-passport-delays-mean-millions-could-lose-summer-holidays/

 I hope you have received the passport now in time for your holiday ? Please report back. 

quoia

quoia said:

<snip>
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 history

Status .............................................Date

Passport printed .........8:10am on 24 April 2022

Application approved ...5:32pm on 20 April 2022

Documents received ...3:48pm on 15 April 2022

Application received ....4:45pm on 8 April 2022

Application 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

</snip>

Passport delivered 11:36 today

18 days and exactly 18 hours and 51 minutes from the last key press on my laptop keyboard in the application process.

... not forgetting that April 15th and April 18th were Good Friday and Easter Monday.
Timescale most unexpected given everything that been said about the service at the moment.

gadjo

Hello everyone - Still no news. Still can't get through on the phone, infact after holding for 5 minutes they end the call stating too busy to accept calls.

No that article isn't ours!

Mummy and Daddy are not married but living together with 2 other children both with passports. No name changes or anything like that.

Letter still hasn't arrived.

If this was a private business it would go bust. It's unacceptable. How can it possibly take this long, even if there was an error in the application. I have worked in a process improvement / ops centre before and would have got sacked if this happened there.

We've resigned ourselves to the fact that the passport won't be here in time now. 

gadjo

We’ve sent you a letter

We sent you a letter on 19 April 2022 that has more details about the problem with your application.

If this letter has not arrived, please contact us.

• Application reference

  PEX xxx

---

Application history

Status	Date
We’ve sent you a letter	1:05pm on 19 April 2022
New photo received	11:21am on 6 March 2022
Photo rejected	11:18am on 1 March 2022
Documents received	2:12pm on 18 February 2022
Application received	1:58pm on 24 January 2022
Identity details received	1:58pm on 24 January 2022
Email sent to person confirming your identity	1:13pm on 24 January 2022
Ask someone to confirm your identity	1:09pm on 24 January 2022
Application submitted	1:09pm on 24 January 2022

quoia

Not quite applicable - but just a thought - Google passport emergency contact

"If you need a passport for travel in an emergency (death or serious illness of a family member or for emergency medical treatment of the applicant), you can contact the Passport Service at+44(0)2073734339 between 09.00-16.30 Monday to Friday."

quoia

Sorry above number could be for Irish passport service