This week, a couple described how they face the need to cancel their wedding due to ongoing delays at the passport office.
Lucia Thompson and her partner, both British nationals living in Australia, have been told they have 13 weeks to arrive with their newborn baby’s British passport. They are due to get married in the UK next month; the ceremony was twice postponed because of Covid.
“They applied for our son’s passport in March immediately after the birth certificate was issued,” Thompson told the Guardian Money.
“The helpline told us we had to leave more time, even though we had no control over when our baby was born. The price of the wedding is around £ 40,000, not to mention the cost of the guests who fly, and our insurance does not cover us for passport problems.
Meanwhile, thousands of families are facing the loss of vacations they have booked for this summer due to delays.
Weeks after the Guardian reported problems at the government agency, the backlog has not been resolved, and this week lawmakers accused it of “absolute chaos”.
The Ministry of the Interior urges travelers to receive their passport applications “as soon as possible”, as the new 10-week processing target has been repeatedly violated.
Travelers have lost hundreds of pounds out of pocket because they cannot fly after their new passports do not arrive on time. Some have waited up to five months from applying.
Vacationers complained about a system crash, with contactless customer service, processing errors and lack of meetings for fast service at a first-class price. Others claim that their applications were delayed or even terminated because the Passport Office did not register supporting documents.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, more than 5 million people have applied for passports since the end of Covid’s restrictions. The introduction of EU rules after Brexit, which require passports to be valid for at least three months, added to the pressure and lawmakers accused the Passport Office of failing to prepare adequately for a “predictable” increase in demand.
Simon Hoare, a Conservative MP from North Dorset, told parliament that the Passport Office hotline disappointed candidates desperate to follow through. “Voters who go abroad for a family funeral, a holiday or for business reasons cannot reach the office and are deceived by employees when they do,” he said.
The lack of services from the courier’s contract courier, TNT, is complicating delays, with some deliveries taking weeks.
Passport checks in Gatwick. The passport office advises people to leave within 10 weeks for their new document to arrive. Photo: Olli Scarf / Getty
A spokesman for the Passport Office told the Guardian Money that it had increased its staff by 500 over the past year to meet demand, and processed a record number of applications in March. It says the private contractor who maintains his helpline is recruiting more staff to improve the service, and Royal Mail and DHL have signed a contract to help deliver.
“We advise people to leave for up to 10 weeks when applying for their British passport, as more than 5 million people have delayed applying due to the pandemic,” a spokesman said. “We call on people who need a new passport to apply for one as soon as possible. Most passport applications are considered within 10 weeks. “
A TNT spokesman said: “We have taken a number of steps to restore service levels in our HM Passport Office network – including operational resources, additional team support and additional customer support resources – and are currently working within service level requirements. , agreed with the Home office. We apologize to any client who has delayed the delivery of their passport and will continue to work with the HMPO to resolve individual cases. “
Add Comment