Help - Passports renewal application stuck at Durham Passport Office and we are traveling this Friday

[wujo]

hi all,

I am desperate!!!

Passports sent via PO Check and Send on the 2nd July.
Called the IPS 0300 number over 60 times today - got through a dozen times.
Cant escalate - can't get transferred to Durham.
Cant talk to anyone.

I am crying and feeling sick as it will ruined the holidays for my twin girls, my son, my husband and my mum.

Can someone help or know someone from the Durham office help us!? We prepare to drive up from Bristol tomorrow to pick them up if need be :(

Help!!!

In the exact same boat. Rang and rang and rang to ask them if i can pay to upgrade or even attend a day appointment at durham as its local to me. Call centre cant put me through as they arent answering the phone, said they would email them to ask to call me, hasnt happened. why cant durham have a dedicated team dealing with these applications? Why are they under staffed? Why isnt the government putting something in place to stop this happening every year.
I have contact my local MP and the home office to ask for their help before i go insane.
I understand people will say you need to be prepared and apply in time and thats easy to say but its also not fair that we need to have a whole 6 months validity on our passports to even travel anywhere so we need to be applying about 9months in advance now? what if you need to travel in those 9 months and travel regularly for business up until that point?

Thought I'd share my experience

Sent off my first adult passport application on 28th February via check and send. Durham received it on 3rd march. I started calling after the 3 weeks to check progress and was told it was in the queue for examination. After 4 weeks I called and they said it is now being examined. At this moment I'm thinking okay examination shouldn't take more then a few days to make enquiries. After I am British citizen by birth and have never left the country.. Can't be that hard to trace any information on myself.. Now 8 weeks on my application is still in examination.. What exactly are they examining?? I just imagine my application sitting there getting know attention whatsoever gathering dust in a pile. When I made my most recent enquiry over the phone they told me my name had been entered incorrectly on the system?? How can somebody who works for a high security service like home office/border agency mock up a name on an application. I have taken advice from these boards and emailed my local MP and Theresa may herself to find out what is actually going on cause I'm not accepting 'still in examination' anymore.. Will keep everyone updated :)

That is ttly unnaceptable. 8 weeks? that worries me completely. I have been promised a call back within 48 hours. I too have emailed my local MP and the home office for their help as i am due to fly next week. Ive had an email back from both saying they are going to look into it for me. Have they told you they can escalate your claim? After 8 weeks i would be worried they "mislaid" your paperwork and looking for excuses. Definitely demand your case is escalated. Best of luck

@timtamd a PA for my local MP replied asking for more details and said she would look into it for me.. Haven't heard back yet.. Probably give it till Many midweek next week to chase up.. It's a complete joke the wait times.. Busy periods are not an acceptable excuse, just like I'm my work place, if it's gonna be a busy period more people are given shifts so problems like this don't happen.. I still can't believe my name was entered incorrectly into the system when it was written clearly on my application form and also clearly stated on my birth certificate.. Just goes to show eh..

Want to share my passport hell story with u all. Applied for my 9 month old baby first passprt on 19 February 2014 via online service, form returned to me three weeks later, signed and reissued to passprt service 19 March 2014. We travel on 17 May so I thought plenty of time. Heard nothing back despite ringing 0300 number since two weeks after app form recvd by the office they keep telling me I need to allow up to 6 weeks for return. Telephoned 3 times still getting same response, I had a funny feeling something was a miss so have a friend who works in the post office n so she rang the direct line to the post office last week for me who confirmed that they had sent a letter to myself on 20 March 2014 stating I had sent the incorrect birth certificate which I admit is totally my fault however I never received the letter from them, however since the call the application had been transferred to another office but they don't know where so will have to wait few days until it 'turns up'. So won't be able to send correct birth certificate until they know where it's gone... After days and hundreds of phone calls later application turns up in a Durham so spoke to nice lady at Liverpool who told me where to send birth cert what to write on envelope and told me to ring the following day when I knew it had been recvd and ask to be out through to Durham office to get someone to pull it out and check for me, will have to pay extra 60.00 to upgrade but should get it within a week. Waited until birth cert was tracked as recvd then tried to telephone no one in Liverpool wanted to help as in Durham wouldn't put me through wouldn't give me the contact number. Told me to ring 0300 number however I know more than them as there system doesn't show anything at all about birth cert just says with examiner... They are unable to put me through to Durham but advice I just keep ringing 0300 number in the hope I get thru to someone sat in the Durham office.. What I joke I tried 11 times then gave up and spoke to a girl in Glasgow she put me for an urgent call back from a manager and who rings me bk this guy in the call centre in Glasgow who started working there that very same day so he knows nothing!!! Totally stuck now don't know what else to do any suggestions anyone would be gratefully received we travel 3 weeks today and so far no passport for my new baby!!!

Found these on a past thread I was on:

numbers for Durham: 0191 3707141, 0845 601 5175

Hi this website has direct nos for all passport offices www.anglia4u.pl/informacje/porady-uk/porady-uk/18-oszczednosci/73-alternatywne-numery-telefonow

Thank you ilovepowerhoop will give it a try.

Hi Everyone,

Sorry I didn't realise that there is already a thread, so I ended up creating one here:-

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_advice_tips/2064681-Passport-Problems-Passport-office-not-responding

Here is my dilemma:-

This is my first post, so please accept my apologies in advance if I say anything wrong. I'll try to keep it as short as possible.

1. I applied for passport renewals for myself and my family (total of 6) at the beginning of feb.

1. By end of feb, everyone's passports came back, except two of my kids (both under 16).

1. Rang the advice line and was told that the passports had gone to peterborough for a random check.

1. End of March - Counter signatory got a letter asking if he knew myself and kids - he replied back to them via recorded/special delivery to say he did and then we waited.

1. By now it was beginning of april and I kept on contacting them for updates, but got no explanation of what was holding them up. Was simply told that the advice line have no access to peterborough and was constantly told that I will get a call within 48hrs, which never came.

1. Middle of april and at last we got a written response that the peterborough office wrote to the counter signatory and got no response, hence the delay meant they ran out of time to complete app. This is knew is not true, because I personally knew that the person counter signing had posted the papers.

1. In the letter I was now told to redo the whole app + photos again and get a different person to counter-sign and send it back ASAP. I did this and sent it back on the 20th april via 9am Special Delivery.

1. I've since then been again chasing it up, but I'm keep being told to just keep on waiting and that the advice line cannot do anything as they have no way of contacting peterborough office, other than to send emails requesting a 48hr call back. I'm not getting any callbacks and only want to confirm if the applications have been received safely by the case-handler and I'm very worried as we travel in middle of may.

Can anyone please advice?

Thank you

Update

I had a phonecall this morning at 8.20 from a lady in the passport office saying that she had been told i wanted to upgrade as im flying on friday. Took money off me and said i will have passport tmrw. This is all because i spoke to my local MP on friday and complained about the service and the 0300 number and people promising to call back within 48 hours and it never happended. I wont be fully satisfied until i have the passport in my hand tommorow.

However people in situations where it is getting urgent i suggest you cantact your local MP with all details passport application numbers, full name, DOB, address and they will help your case. MP's secretary was very helpful and they have contacts in each office to escalate your case.

Good luck

Alicewilliams you need to find the 0845 number for Peterborough office and ring them don't waste anymore time on the 0300 number they don't know anything anyway n there system takes 2 days to update!! They didn't know that I'd sent in incorrect birth cert so a letter had been issued to me (which I never received) just kept telling me it was being looked at! I waited n waited for 5 callbacks and they haven't come as yet! I have rung Durham office bout my enquiry (got number off here) we travel 17 may n they think I have loads of time so if u can get to speak to someone u will feel more reassured!!

I put a link earlier that had all the passport office numbers

www.anglia4u.pl/informacje/porady-uk/porady-uk/18-oszczednosci/73-alternatywne-numery-telefonow - has a number for Peterborough

Thank you very much Katy9718 and ilovepowerhoop. I've already tried the 0870 521 0410 number for Peterborough office. Unfortunately it just keeps ringing and eventually the call automatically disconnects.

Could you please tell me which 0845 number you are referring to and which office does that take you to? Did any of you succeed in getting through with these numbers and if so, which one?

Remember I need to get through to Peterborough and not Liverpool or Durham.

Your help is much appreciated guys...thank you!

there is an 01733 number on that link too which is the Peterborough dialling code

tried it...it's a dead number :(

SHIT.

Sent DP's renewal and DD's first passport application off last week-

JUST REALISED THAT I DIDNT SEND DD's BIRTH CERTIFICATE OFF>

on that 'say no to 0870' website it gives a Peterborough number as 0845 129 0055

Alicewilliams try the above number for Peterborough I have Liverpool and now Durham but they won't help u if it's in Peterborough... Don't see why there so funny bout giving out telephone numbers when we obviously have application in... I sent my application to Liverpool n there the ones who transferred it to Glasgow and now Durham so the least they can do is give us the number. Tierdemma you need to send the one with parents details on not the smaller one like I did Doh!!!!!!

Really hoping mine comes in time!

Can't offer any immediate help but as a former civil servant, the one thing that makes Departments review processes and gets you a quick answer is for your local MP to write to them and ask why your application has been so delayed. MPs letters are fast-tracked and given immediate priority, as no Department wants MPs (or even worse, Ministers) looking into their practices too closely. even better is if you can get an MP to table a PQ (Parliamentary Question, eg at PM's Question Time) That really sets the cat among the pigeons!

Hi.could someone please please tell me the direct number to phone durham passport office.in light of a lovely helpful human shedding some light on my family's passport applications.the helpline said they've emailed priority request as to what's happening,I'd get a call back,but I doubt it going on previous posts.in these situations time is of the essence.id appreciate someone help pass on a direct number for durham.3weeks to go to our holls :(( whish these passports were in postman pats van on their way to us!! Thanks in advance

Hi everyone

I need some urgent help! Does anyone have a direct line number to the Durham passport office? we are supposed to be going on holiday Weds 7th May but as yet my son's first passport hasn't arrived. I am starting to panic as the post office said it would take a maximum of three weeks and we are now well over that timescale. I have tried the 0300 number numerous times and I get nowhere with it.
Please help me if you have the number, I've read on various websites that they are quite efficient at sorting it out once you get through to them.
Thank you

Just a general comment for others (not those travelling soon) I usually try to send ours off at a time the offices are less busy. Last time we did the on line application for the form and it came in 3 days (not 3 weeks as someone above had) and we had the passports in 3 weeks (that would be to whatever office deals with London). We were very lucky. Considering how much you pay to renew these years they are far too unapproachable and slow in so many cases.

I don't know if this works but if you cannot get through on the phone it might be worth sending a special delivery letter also chasing these up.

Laws146 hi there! I feel your pain ,its terrible.am waiting on 3renewals that I've also reported as lost even tho there not valid no more.and my sons first child passport waiting on.posted PO check and send,2sent out the 4/4 and 2sent out 7/4 (had wrong birth certificate),everything got the ok this end at PO.was told guideline of 3weeks for sons first and the renewals most likely be back with us before the 3weeks.but nothing! We travel the 21/May so cutting it fine.i thought 6-7 weeks was long enough! I've phoned the 0300 number twice told that 2 of the renewals are with examiner and we're received and logged on 9/4.but only mine and sons logged on 9/4 but nothing else.now they're questioning me as if I've made an error on application cos they can't understand why mine and sons isn't at the examiner stage as well and nothing else logged on system.ive had no correspondence. I'm not waiting with baited breath for the call backs cos I've no time to waste. It's chewing me up.hope I don't need to reapply but you'd think PO check and send was a sure bet! We are who we say we are so whys it so complicated.... help! Just want what I've paid for or there's no holiday and 3 grand lost :((

@ ilovepowerhoop & katy9718 - that 0845 number no longer exists :(
I rang the 0300 number again yesterday and was told that this is an extremely busy period, so peterborough office are not replying to any callback requests...what a load of !#?!...unfortunately I can't get hold of my local mp at this moment as they are busy with election campaigns and the earliest appointment is approx 2-3 weeks!

@ Jennywrenman - I'm travelling at the same time as yourself. It's not approx 12-13wks for me. Just ridiculous.

Alicewilliams that's just great to now know that this is now the "busy period" my husband sent his first ever BP application off the week before ours so 4weeks ago now and received a text from durham saying passport currently being printed off that's after yesterday's interview..so lucky for him he be going on his holiday on the 21 may :) he's excited now but am left with passports stress.you'd think renewals and a first child straightforward...oh am baffled