Turning 16 while waiting for child passport renewal

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Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 24 total)
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  • #16146
    schpilkers
    Participant

    15 year old’s passport is stuck in ‘processing’. When we submitted the renewal application she her birthday was too far away to be elligible for an adult passport – the application has to be under 3 weeks for that. But now, I’m not sure she’s elligible for an child passport any more. The phone lines only take calls for people who have waited 10 weeks or have two weeks till they fly so there’s no one to talk to. I’m now wondering whether it’s stuck in processing because this conundrum is giving the passport office itself a meltdown. Any one been through this or has any suggestions?

    #16783
    Flowers27
    Participant

    I am in the same situation. The application has just been placed in processing so I understand this to be the manual rather than digital route.

    Reviewing the forum this does not seem good news time wise. We travel on 7th July.

    Does anyone know if they will issue the child passport as the application was accepted more than 3 weeks before they turned 16?

    Does anyone have experience of how you access the upgrade service if we get to the two week prior to travel mark?

    #16904
    StillWaiting47
    Participant

    I’m also in a similar position and will follow the thread with interest. We applied in mid-April but my daughter turned 16 in mid-May. We travel on 12 July and are getting concerned over the delay. It has been in the status of ‘being processed’ since 16 May.

    I am also concerned that they will now say that she is now not eligible for a childs passport and will ask us to resubmit an adult application. Is that the case?

    Both my other childen applied for their first adult passports and received them in about 25 days, no problems at all.

    #16964
    schpilkers
    Participant

    I’ve been called back twice and on both occasions they’ve told me to wait for a letter asking me to pay the difference for an adult passport. They insist that letter will be send in the post and that they can’t send the letter out themselves and it must wait for an examiner to send the letter out. Meanwhile it’s getting ever closer to 8th July. And they tell me there’s nothing I can do to hurry it along other than phone them again if I don’t get a letter in the post. Sometimes they approve a child renewal even once the child has turned 16 but there is no consistency in their approach and it’s luck of the draw. That’s all I know right now. Let me know you find out anything useful yourself.

    #16970
    Flowers27
    Participant

    I have completed a web chat where they said I needed to pay extra to make it an adult passport but I needed to call the assistance line as they couldn’t arrange this. I didn’t feel the person on the chat was that knowledgeable. I called the number and got through to someone who said as long as the application was received on a date that was at least three weeks prior to my daughter turning 16 it would progress as a child passport as that was the cut off. He seemed more knowledgeable and sent an email to the ‘progression team’ to explain the situation and I presume escalate it. I haven’t heard back and it is well outside the 48 hour – 72 hour commitment to respond back.

    I have submitted an online form raising the question but am not hopeful. If anyone has any further advice on how to achieve contact with someone who can take the query forwards it would be very gratefully received.

    #17016
    schpilkers
    Participant

    And I received a call back twice and was twice told to wait for a form to be sent in the post to convert the application to an adult renewal. So it’s very inconsistent. I asked if I could pay online and the said no – must wait for post!!!! So ridiculous. Why can’t they have one policy and stick with it?!

    #17264
    Flowers27
    Participant

    Just a short update. I received an email from the customer management team from an email enquiry I sent. This response said my daughter will need to complete a new form for an adult passport and someone will be in touch.

    Sadly, they had noted the wrong date of application and also called my daughter by another name in the email.

    This is now the third conflicting piece of information we have received about what is meant to happen. I hope we can help each other through this by sharing the information and hopefully how we get a solution 🙁

    #17667
    s_h123
    Participant

    I sent off 4 applications – 3 adult and 1 child renewal and just wondered if you have heard anything more as I think I might be in same situation. It’s annoying that it accepts over 3 weeks before 16th birthday when you apply but ends up being under due to delays. Can’t believe they don’t accept all the ones prior to 3 weeks!

    #17668
    s_h123
    Participant

    I didn’t even think they wouldn’t, it’s crazy!

    #17670
    Flowers27
    Participant

    Hi, I have spoken to them a couple of times now as we went into upgrade on Sunday. The last two people said someone from the upgrade team will call and ask for additional payment, which they can take over the phone. They said they will then change it to an adult passport. I have been rather skeptical and pressed that I thought there must be more to it than that and both times they said it would just be the extra payment needed. The two people I’ve spoken to are a level above the initial call team and web chat team and seemed to be quite sure this was all that was needed. I think they are ‘gatekeeping’ the upgrade team to stop them being bombarded with incoming calls so they can manage the outgoing calls. Still waiting even though I have been told someone will contact in 48 and 24 hours.

    #17672
    s_h123
    Participant

    Thanks for the info, it’s so frustrating. I just wish the information was a bit clearer. I’m hoping if my daughters needs to be upgraded to an adults we are able to do over phone. I hope you get sorted soon and get the call back.

    #17682
    StillWaiting47
    Participant

    Just spoken to the upgrade team on 0300 105 0850 who said that as my daughter is now 16 they cannot issue a child’s passport, even though we applied more than 3 weeks before she turned 16. Rang at 8.00 exactly but had to wait for 30 minutes before I spoke to someone.

    They said that a letter was sent in the post on 15th June to request a payment to upgrade the application to an adults passport. Let’s hope this arrives soon and if not I will be back on the phone again.

    Starting to panic now as we fly on 12 July but hopefully things are now moving.

    #17716
    hollidays
    Participant

    Same situation and I’ve been told today that a child passport will be issued but will only be valid until my daughter turns 18 and then I will need to apply for an adult passport. Think I would prefer the option to pay the extra now. Applied 27th April, went to processing on 30/05 and now reverted back to documents received.

    #17717
    Flowers27
    Participant

    That’s practically the same timelines as our application. Very interesting that you have been told something completely different and great that they seem to be saying they will progress it. At this stage I’d take anything they offered, we are 7 days from flights and nothing back from them at all. Applied to Newport but apparently the application is with Liverpool now.

    #17747
    StillWaiting47
    Participant

    As they promised, I received a letter from HMPO asking to pay the difference between a child and adult passport of £26.50 and for my daughter to sign a declaration.

    Helpfully the payment was taken over the phone and we could scan and send the signed letter to an email address which should (hopefully) speed the process up.

    I’m now more hopeful that things are moving forward.

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