[yardo20]

Passport received today, very relieved. This site has been useful and a recap on things I did:

– use a date a week earlier than you need to fly (unless you get asked for proof!) because you still need to be able to plan for a holiday and enter API details etc
– contact the HMPO line and just state ‘I need to speak to someone’ when the voice comes on asking what you’re calling about. I always got through within a few minutes
– when they don’t help with you your query (inevitable) tell them you want put through to the complaints team
– all the while, DM their twitter account (only once because sending more than one resets you to the back of queue) – give them all the details on that DM and date of travel. and also email your MP to get them to act (again give all the details)
you could also email the passport office in which case i’m told the liverpool@hpmo.gov.uk one is best but I didn’t actually do that

to be honest, if your holiday is 3 weeks or more away, you should let others do all this first. doing the above can get things turned around in a week, but it is annoyingly time consuming!
Passport printed and sent 3:05pm on 6 July 2020
Application approved 1:16pm on 6 July 2020
Application being processed 9:11am on 16 June 2020
Documents received 12:54pm on 11 June 2020
Application received 8:34pm on 1 June 2020
Identity details received 8:34pm on 1 June 2020
Email sent to person confirming your identity 3:10pm on 1 June 2020
Ask someone to confirm your identity 3:09pm on 1 June 2020
Application submitted 3:09pm on 1 June 2020

[yardo20]

Thanks @Tracey1978 – did you receive a text/email to say when it would be delivered or did it just turn up?

[yardo20]

Anyone else had issues actually receiving their passports? Mine was printed on Monday but still doesn’t appear to have been picked up by TNT..

[yardo20]

this is the feedback i’ve seen – seems to be definitely working. I think when you are travelling within 2 weeks they will try but you need to be a bit of an ahole with them and get onto the complaints team etc as well. I also said I was flying a week earlier than I am because TNT are slow to deliver and need passports to check in and secure flight (flight places are getting cancelled too – something else to worry about!)

[yardo20]

so it took a week to arrive? wow that’s quite lengthy.. were you able to track it?

[yardo20]

so it takes possibly 7 days for their courier (who I understand is TNT) to pick up the passport!? I had mine printed and ‘sent’ yesterday but no info since then… I think there are going to be plenty of missed Summer holidays this year due to the backlogs

[yardo20]

here you go:

I hope you are well.

You may be aware that there are some delays at HM passport office and I wonder if you can help me in relation to this. I sent off applications back in May for both my daughters’ passports to be renewed, and it appears they are both stuck in the process since then. As a family we are due to fly away to Spain in just over a week for a holiday, including to visit my unwell father-in-law – it is not an emergency or compassionate reason for travel so I have not claimed this – it is however a trip we have already spent thousands of pounds on, which we would lose if we can’t go. There seems to be no logic to the application process, with some that were submitted after us going through very quickly (and some who appear to have been waiting longer) and I’m concerned ours has just got lost. Given our urgent predicament, I am asking if you could please use your standing to contact HM passport office and enquire on my behalf because they will not commit to anything over the phone when I call them. I understand from speaking to someone that their application moved forward quickly after help from their local MP.

I realise you will have a lot on your plate but hope you can quickly assist with this for me. My reference numbers are:

x
x
Thank you very much in advance

Best wishes

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