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Have just received my daughter’s renewed passport. Not sure what I did that broke the system.
Application submitted 8/5 and PO confirmed passport received 16/5. Then absolutely nothing. 10 week deadline expired 25/7. Sent email 0n 26/7 to Expedited Service@hmpo.gov.uk with proof of travel 3+ weeks later. Heard absolutely nothing (auto reply).
Rang useless advice line a couple of times. They seemed happy to mis-inform me just to get rid of me. They didn’t seem to have access to any real info about my application. Despite being told on the tracking service that I qualified to apply to have application expedited, the advice line consistently said that application wouldn’t be expedited until less than 2 weeks before travel. So I think that maybe true although why the applicants can’t be told this I don’t know.
I wrote to Thomas Grieg, Director of Passports at the PO, by old fashioned post because I think it’s too easy for PO to ignore emails. I also emailed my MP who contacted the HO using the standard procedure; Kevin Foster, Home Office minister responsible for PO (auto response so quite sure he did nothing) and Diana Johnson, Chair of Home Affairs Select Committee who interviewed Grieg recently (also auto response).
I hand wrote the envelope to Grieg marking it urgent in red and for his personal attention. The PO would have received it yesterday (Southport address as per website). I didn’t hold back in my letter (!). I got a call from them yesterday telling me they were dealing with it and there it was on the doormat first thing this morning. So still more than 2 weeks before travel.
I really think it was my letter to Grieg that worked for me.
Fantastic Aidan! And what a relief! But 24 hours before travel is far too tight.
I’ve just come off my daily phone call. Today’s magic advice is to re-send your emails with “2nd request” in the subject line. Apparently that’ll do the trick.
So lovely when you’re taken for a fool.
You may have seen the report from 22/7 when the director of passports, Thomas Grieg, appeared before the Home Affairs Select Committee to explain the delays etc. He estimated that there were 400,000 applications in the system at that time with 10% delayed over 10 weeks, ie 40,000. He also said they were processing about 60,000 applications a week.
So if they wanted to, the outstanding cases could be cleared in less than a week. But that’s not happened because he’s clearly more interested in processing newer applications within the deadline so their targets are not further damaged.
He said, very disingenuously, “…our whole focus at the moment is on trying to resolve these applications so people can access their passport if they need it urgently”. Like hell that’s there focus.Hi Aidan
We’re in a similar situation. Applied to renew my daughter’s passport on 8/5/22 and HMPO confirmed supporting documentation received 16/5/22. Just gone over the 10 week deadline so applied for application to be expedited 2 days ago. No info about when it’ll be dealt with and we’re due to be travelling in just over 3 weeks. Spoke to advice line and was told I’d have a text and email within 48 hours of my request to expedite but have heard nothing. I rang again and was told just to sit and wait it out with no guarantee that it’ll be sorted in time.
Applied from London and application apparently with Belfast.
