Passport application or renewal timelines in one place at a glance -add yours!

[EveSix]

In the light of the hefty current backlog of processing passport applications, I thought it might be informative to start a thread for keeping an eye on other people's timelines for the applications for and renewal of UK passports. Personally, I'm hoping for reassurance at best, or a grim-faced reality check at worst.
I'll start. How about this format:
Type of passport requested: 2x DC UK renewals
Date of application: 18th of April
Method: Check and Send at local post office
Anyone want to add their stats?

2 online renewals. 1 child and 1 adult.

Adult took 2 weeks. Processed by Bootle.

Childs took 4.5 weeks. Processed by Corby. Longest bit was the acknowledgement of the old passport.

We filled in the online application and sent back the old passport 12th May (child to adult renewal) . It went to Bootle and we got the new passport in the post today, two weeks exactly.

I sent off two applications on 26 April.
Dd1 was a renewal, her new passport was back on 12 May so just over 2 weeks.
Dd2 was a first passport, had a notification this evening to say it had been approved, so will hopefully get it in the next few days.
We fly on 4 July - so 9 weeks and 5 days from application date. Was so worried about them not coming in time, I was even looking at changing the dates of our holiday yesterday, but I think we should be OK now that Dd 2's has been approved!

Thank you @EveSix no, no idea which office the application is being processed at. I was told i would get a call back within 24 hours...23 hours in, I am not hopeful. I just tried to call again and wasn't even able to hold this time, and this was going down the 'travelling within two weeks route'. I would happily travel anywhere in the country this weekend to get this sorted if there is any way I could. But I need to make decisions today really about whether to cancel. It is all really quite stressful and of course, because I am taking a week off, I have a million work deadlines today. We would have been very willing to go to the passport office at the beginning of May and paid for the enhanced service when we applied but there were no appointments available. It looks as though we are going to lose a lot of money, and crucially, my children wont' get to see their grandparents for a while longer.

Just an update. Finally got through to the passport office. They are now saying that even if you are flying within the next two weeks, your application has to have been submitted at least 6 weeks prior for it to be expedited. We are not quite in that category as we only applied on the 2nd of May, so there really is absolutely nothing we can do. Rather than cancel altogether I am going to see if we can transfer our flights and hopefully I can change my annual leave. It is going to be expensive.

According to the person I spoke to, lots of people have been booking cheap flights they don't intend to take, then ringing up to say that they are travelling in the next two weeks in order to get their application classified as urgent, so the passport office has now had to prioritise those who have applied at least six weeks ago as the demand is so high. I really can't understand why people would do that.

It is all very disappointing. I take some responsibility as we should have applied sooner.

Update: We both received a message on Tuesday 24th May to say they have received our old passports.
DH received a message today to say his has been approved (Peterborough) and is being printed, so hopefully mine will be approved and follow suit (Durham) in the next few hours.
💐 to who is having problems, I hope things get sorted ASAP for you.

Adult renewal

Online, today 27/05

Off to the post office this afternoon. Liverpool - which seem to be doing OK, or am I having major confirmation bias from the normal/acceptable experiences?

Hoping to travel in the middle of August (11 weeks away) - not yet booked, and could possibly go a couple of weeks later

2 x Child renewals
Online
20th May
Passport 1 sent to Liverpool
Passport 2 sent to Hemel Hempstead
Passport 1 documents received notification on 25th May
Passport 2 not updated
Will post when there's an update!
Not travelling until late August so we should hopefully be ok! 🤞🏻

DH had a message this week (25th May) that old passport was received but then a day later notified that photos weren't acceptable. New ones taken and uploaded today - no idea why those photo machines "take" photos which won't be any good for passports etc!
Flying 6th July, can change flights up to the day before at a cost of £45 each (so £135) plus whatever any extra cost would be but accomodation is non-refundable and has to be paid 28th June so that's our deadline for making any decisions....................

Still no acknowledgement of DS’s supporting documents ☹️

Small update from me.

Old passports arrived today .
So that took 3 1/2 - 4 weeks to return.

Both originally sent to 2 different passport offices, but returned from Peterborough, both arrived today in same post delivery.

Mine is still processing.....applied 11th April.

@Rainallnight
I think we applied about the same time (mid-May). DD's documents are also not yet shown as "received" although I know they were signed for in Durham on 24 May (sent from abroad). I don't know what you see, but when I log on to the HMPO page, I get a message saying that there will be a gap between delivery by the courier and the relevant HMPO page showing receipt. It's still quite disconcerting though!

Applied online 2 weeks ago and sent old passport Royal Mail special delivery.

Received new one yesterday.

(Adult renewal)

Forgot to say it was Bootle office.

Bootle seems to be one of the "good" offices. That's where ds' passport/renewal went and was back in c2 weeks

Dh's renewal is stuck in Belfast Fortunately we've got no travel booked - but we would have liked to take a wee city break

3 x online childrens renewals. Posted old passports 6th May - sent to Bootle, Peterborough and Newport. All back within 3 weeks. Peterborough was quickest.

People's experiences of the process really are worlds apart! It seems entirely arbitrary. So many who have been waiting, for no discernible reason, since the start of the year, while newer applications are processed in a timely manner within a couple of weeks. It is such a bizarre backward way to manage a backlog.
It's really interesting to see everyone's timelines; I'm as yet unable to discern a pattern.

Macavity; disconcerting is one way of describing it ;) I hope it all works out for you!

Willow, I did hear about the "throwaway flights" ruse. So cynical. I think that when people are prepared to do something that is so obviously wrong, on so many levels, they really are desperate, and it is a serious indictment of the mess that Priti Patel's Home Office is in.
I oscillate between thinking that the new rule of only expediting applications which have been in the system for 6 weeks or more and which come with proof of imminent travel is sensible, and also feeling outraged on all applicants' behalf: it should be 'fine' to need a passport suddenly or urgently at short notice -nobody should be in this situation, irrespective of whether they applied 4 months ago or 4 days ago.

Assembly, 3 different offices! Goodness me, you're lucky you didn't need to visit each of the offices to collect 48 hours before travel.
In hard times, we're grateful for small mercies: one such blessing for me was definitely that my DCs' applications are both at the same office, albeit a cool 300 miles away.

So many who have been waiting, for no discernible reason, since the start of the year, while newer applications are processed in a timely manner within a couple of weeks. It is such a bizarre backward way to manage a backlog

It's to do with the number of people you piss off.

Those who have already at the longer waiting times are already pissed off, so increase in pissed-off-ness is horrible for them but doesn't make your problem worse.

Processing new applications within the time means you aren't adding to be backlog, and the number off pissed-off people doesn't increase (indeed it's gradually decreasing as it gets worked on, without more joining it daily)

It's a bit like watching people on the later flight getting away safely when yours has been delayed or cancelled. They don't spread your misery by holding up the next lot, and work separately to get you moving, however long it takes, and within that prioritising those with most urgent need

Angua, that made me laugh. You are, of course, absolutely right.

@EveSix when are you going to start chasing yours up ?
I am not in a position to start going off to passport offices 2 weeks before our holiday.

They’ve finally acknowledged DS’s documents! Hurrah! Hopefully they’ll get cracking now.

Does anyone know if it's easier to renew a passport that hasn't expired yet or doesn't make any difference? My children's ones are due to expire in July but we havn't any plans to go anywhere.