That the passport office service has been unacceptable

[cathythegreat]

Has anyone had an issue with the passport service where it hasn't arrived in ten weeks?
I sent my sons passport off in March tracked by Royal Mail - it was signed for by the passport office the next day.
Since then I've had numerous conversations/emails but still no passport- it hasn't even been scanned into their system yet.
I can't get past the customer agent who gives conflicting advice. They've lost it, they never received it, you'll get a call from the management team- this never happens.
I contact them again- the process starts from scratch.
I've been doing this for weeks.

I've logged a formal complaint which you are supposed to get a response to in 15 days but still nothing.

Our travel date is in the next 10 days - This feels so shit and frustrating, I'm a single parent, I've scrimped and saved for a year for a break abroad with my ds.

Has anyone got any further advice?

You need a face to face appointment and they need to issue you a passport

Call again and say you have been in contact with the Parliamentary Ombudsman and they are very concerned about the delay. That may or may not speed things along but worth a try.

This sounds very stressful. I hope you get it v soon.

The parliamentary ombudsman sounds interesting- have you got a link. Is that just related to the passport service?

Yes, I had problems too. They scanned my passport in then lost it, lots of phone calls, like you I felt I was starting the process anew everytime. Kept saying they'd do a document search and I'd get a call back. Never happened. In the end the only way to get out the loop was to report it lost using the online form. Then phone them back with this reference number so that my application could be taken forward as a replacement rather than a renewal. You can get it fast tracked once your travel date is within a certain window.

Call again and say you have been in contact with the Parliamentary Ombudsman and they are very concerned about the delay. That may or may not speed things along but worth a try

Why would it speed things up if you lie?? You might as well just say 'I've told my mum off you and she said she's going to come to your office and give you what for'

If your travelling in the next 10 days than I think you need to talk to them again and find out if they have an application or do you need to send another one, if you have to pay for it I'm sure that can be sorted out after your holiday. Is it possible for you to visit a passport office? I hope this all gets sorted.

We had exactly the same problem last year when the passport office was mired in chaos. Had 10 days until our flight.

I agree with others, get an appointment for a face-to-face at the passport office. If you can't get one, just wing it in person. I turned up at the Peterborough office without an appointment, managed to get inside and just waited. It took 2 days (one overnight stay at the Travelodge) but finally walked out with a passport. We'd have lost £3000 on a family holiday if I hadn't gone there.

Pretty sure there's been a number of strikes at the passport offices. Might that have delayed things?

That is dreadful, but if they've lost it I doubt they will find it now. Try your MPs office and ask if they can demand an in-person application for you. It will cost more but not as much as not being able to travel.

Came also to say they’ve been striking that’s prob why..

Terrible. Agree with everyone else. Get online and book a face to face appointment now, go in with a completely new form etc all ready to go and ask whether they can do a new one as a replacement for a lost one - since they lost it - rather than a renewal. Frankly I would t now trust their postal system at all. Always pay extra for face to face. Sucks, but true.

Twitter might help

I don't believe it was because of the strikes it was sent before and should have been scanned on in 7 days (so I've been told)

They are saying I can't have an appointment in person as my application is in progress.

I can't say I've lost the passport as they have his birth certificate so I wouldn't be able to complete the process.

But I can't get to speak to a manager either or someone who knows what they are doing to get any clarity

Your MP's office can use the ombudsman (after weeding out numerous unreasonable complaints!)

I applied to renew my son's passport on the 13th May, they received his old passport on the 16th May and I received his new passport on the 30th of May. I had a friend who also did her son's passport and it was all done and dusted in two and a half weeks.

Sorry that you have not had a similar experience. I know someone this happened to last year and they received their daughter's passport 4 days before going on holiday. I would do as others have suggested and call again stating that you're going away in 10 days and try and get a face to face appointment.

Best of luck.

Eeeek. Two months before travel was cutting it a bit fine given the well publicised issues, but I agree I would escalate to ombudsman today.

Ok, you need to accept that they probably won’t find the documents. I would do the following asap:

1. email your MP. They should be able to help sort this
2. apply for a fast track birth certificate here: https://www.gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate. It will cost £35 I’m afraid

let us know how you get on

OP you're being MUCH too passive. Find a way to get a passport office and make them sort it. Do not get off the phone until they've given you an appointment.

We got caught up in all of this last year. They didn’t really take us seriously until 2 days before travel. We joined a Facebook group called something like ‘passport chaos’ which really helped. The best way was to go to one of the passport offices and queue first thing in the morning. DH went to London and got our the day before we left. So stressful.

It is incredibly annoying and frustrating but it has been in the news for literally months that there will be strikes for a long period of time and it should be expected to take much longer than the usual waiting time

in February they were saying that it would most likely impact summer holidays from applications sent then

although it does sound like they’ve done something drastically wrong if they still have his passport. I’d just be turning up at the offices asking to speak to someone

I mean to say if they still have his birth certificate

in my experience we’ve got documents back very quickly even if we haven’t received the passport

No point in contacting Parliamentary Ombudsman. You'll be directed towards the right process.

Try your MP. He/She can intervene directly with the relevant passport office.

In the meantime, ring again, and go with the last information they gave you. "on X you told me Y, what is now happening?"

Which was the last thing they told you?

Another vote for just going to the passport office. It shouldn’t matter if it’s not the one you think you sent it to. My daughter and I were caught up in this as well last year - 2 whole days spent waiting at Peterborough but we finally got my daughter’s passport at 5:36pm the day before we travelled. Don’t sit around and wait on phone calls, you’re much easier to ignore if you’re there and (politely) requesting updates when the promised phone calls don’t happen.

From the chaos last year I learnt a few things-

The call centres are provided by a 3rd party and aren’t actually within the passports office and can’t really do anything to help you.

Emailing your MP can make a difference quite quickly.

If all else fails be prepared to go and queue outside the passport office 48 hours before you’re due to travel. (I don’t know if they’re still doing this but it was how a lot of people got passports last time).

If it’s been over the 10 weeks I think they’re meant to fast track it for free?

There was a really useful Facebook group

I had something similar last year and it was so stressful. The passport office were awful and I had so much contradictory information every time I called them.

I eventually contacted my MP and she (or actually someone who worked with her) got in touch with them and I got my passport a few days later (after them having my son’s passport for over 14 weeks).