10 weeks wait time exceeded. What next?

Yes, I emailed the expedited service – it’s different to the escalation and the upgrade services. It is basically for people whose applications have been stuck in the system. They say that they will ignore your email if your application hasn’t been in the system for long enough. Escalated and upgrade require proof of travel. @boblee4 email expeditedservice@hmpo.gov.uk and set out all your dealings with HMPO and when everything was submitted. That’s what I did and they got our application moving.

Thanks @upsidedown I will definitely try this because got nowhere with upgrade team and escalated service team. Upgrade team called me at the weekend and apparently my passport will be with me today….still waiting and had no txt message updates other than the original one saying they’d received my application so chances of passport turning up today are slim to none I would say!

Although I haven’t received my passport today like they said, I have now received a text message saying

“You should receive your new passport within a few working days. We’ll send your supporting documents separately.”

I think this sounds promising- has anyone else had this text before? Hoping it’s not just a standard courtesy text they send when you reach 10 weeks !!

@simon888

Thats good news then – thanks for the info. 👍

Hi etival. Do you mind explaining what your process has been?

I’ve just had a call back from the progress department and by coincidence, my application had been assigned to an examiner 5 minutes before the call. She did say it could take 7 days to be looked at. 🙄

Do you mind if I ask you who you emailed at Durham? I’ve emailed generic ones but not direct ones.

Made my application for my sons renewal almost 14 weeks ago and still dont have a passport and documents still being “examined”

Application was made on 16th April
Documents signed for 27th April
Documents “received” on the systme on the 19th June (conveintly this was after I chased on the phone, that same morning they where still showing as me needing to send documents)

Have now chase them multiple times about the renewal, with little to no change. Was supposed to be travelling to Belfast to see kids grandparents for the first time in 3 years due to Covid, on Saturday 23rd July, so conatcted on Tuesday 12th about expiditing the situation, was told it was at Durham for examination and they spoke to Durham who would be in touch, still no call back by Friday 15th so called again and was told it was being progressed, still no contact. Got my MP to contact them (again) today but so far still no contact.

This trip can be cancelled with no loss of funds, but we are also supposed to be going on Summer Holiday 20th August (which is booked and paid for) and based on the experiance I have had trying to get it expiditied when in the 14 day window (i.e. a full week and now news) I have little faith that I will recieve it then meaning I will have two dissapointed kids and be out of pocket thousands!

Its bad enough being stressed about this situation but the lack of contact is an even bigger kick in the teeth, I also think that its outragous that there is no recourse in the event that someone loses money in the event of the passport not arriving in time. This is 100% the fault of the passport service and the government, providing this service is litrilly a basic function of government!

Will try and call again today and likely spend another hour on hold to get told “its being processed”