Help - Does anyone work at the Passport Office at Durham

[janeb204]

Im at my wits end...I need to speak to Durham Passport office, I am going on holiday Saturday and my daughters passport renewal is stuck in a backlog at Durham. I will pay for accelerated service but can't get through to ask for it. The general phone number takes hours to be answered, the call back service doesn't work, the 48hr email reply service doesn't reply. Can I drive to Durham and sit and wait. I'm frantic to resolve this...but what can I do? Has anyone got any suggestions of what I can do....apart from cry? Does anyone work there and can tell me something I can DO

Hi all I have received the passports back last week however I paid for secure return of my marriage certificate and sons birth certificate, does anyone have any idea when they will be posted back to me?

Thankyou

My documents (old passports) arrived about a week later by ordinary post - I didn't pay for secure return.

My supporting documents came back minus one item which they now claim never to have received. They received the others though!

Passport debacle now front page of the mail online.

Hi ladies I've been watching this thread! I've been in total panic found this thread looking a soloution. I got the number for direct team and they upgraded called again last week they said it's going through checks! Anyway I got a call yesterday say it was being printed today and will be with by 1pm tomorrow we travel Friday! De also told me the upgrade was free because it had been with them for longer than 3 weeks. Good luck ladies

Right. There has been progress! Thank God! I sent my passport off on the 17th of May to the Belfast office. Was received on the 21st. Phoned them recently and didn't hear anything about my passport on the 0300. Really inconsistent advice so I phoned the 0845 number and they told me it's awaiting examination! They have put it on alert for urgent examination and will be finished between tomorrow and Friday. Told them my intended date of travel was on the 21st of June - so they are working around that time for me to receive it! It should be here by Monday if everything is correct (I really hope it is! I sent everything and filled everything in!) my MP has helped quite a lot also!

If you're panicking, my advice is:
Contact your MP immediately. Tell him/her everything!
Do not contact the 0300! It is a waste of time and money!
Contact the direct line! Be prepared to wait up to an hour for an answer (I had to wait around 35 minutes before they answered) but they will eventually answer. They are much more helpful than the 0300 number. If you hear something about having a letter - ignore it! Keep holding. The Belfast direct number if anyone needs it is: 08456019031.
Try and phone daily for a progress report and remind them of the day of travel! Do not let yourself be forgotten.
Good luck to anyone who needs their passport urgently! I hope you all get it in time!

Oh and I requested a callback for it to be escalated - haven't heard anything about it! This was on Thursday! They said they have a huge backlog from April!

I have always just used the normal service - online for a the last couple -as I've never had a problem- always renew passports in winter when it is quiet and it has taken no more than two weeks.

However, I am now a bit nervous hearing about delays and backlogs having sent in my daughter's passport renewal last week. It was sent 12 weeks before we travel though so hope it is enough time! Plus the fact I can track it as it was online.

More nervous though about DH getting his arse in gear to do his!

Just going to add my woes to the thread. I sent my renewal passport and my baby ds's first application to Durham (no check and send) on May 14th. Had a text to say received on May 20th (I sent it first class recorded). I am yet to hear anything else and am due to travel Tues 24th.
I blame myself entirely and doubly so as I don't have a reference number.
My questions are..1) can you upgrade a child's first passport 2) will I have any joy contacting Durham without a reference number?
I know we all feel our hols are important..mine is with my two late teen daughters and my baby ds. I have a Forces OH who is looking after our other 2 ds's as we can't all afford to go and we have tiny windows of opportunity given his work. Both DD's are doing A levels and Gcse's at the mo and they are going to kill me! I've had a tough year with them and this hol was for a bit of healing and I've cocked it up.
Any advice appreciated?

Hi,

Thanks to all for your advice. I have just been contacted, the passport has been printed and is on its way. In the end it got stuck between Durham and Liverpool. Got my local MP involved (who was great!). Keep hanging on those passport office numbers, forget 0300!

Clabbage. Durham are currently taking over 25 working days to process new child applications. Ur only hope is an upgrade. Yes you can upgrade new child apps presuming everything in order. You need to try the 0845 number and ask for an upgrade. As it's less than 3 weeks since they've had it they will more than likely charge

am still VERY confused as to why people think their MPs have little else to do all day but chase their passports. Nor can I understand why people think theirs is any more important than anyone elses' applications. By constantaly harrassing HMPO staff, YOU are contributing to delays. By upgrading, you are pushing other peoples' applications back further.
At the end of the day, if you ignore the official advice abd book your holiday, thats your choice. Your risk. This thread is proof that it doesnt pay off.
Timescales HMPO give are simply a guideline and will be longer during busy periods.... should you choose to read the literature, you would know this already.

So why are MPs chasing passport applications if they have no time...?

Thanks for that straightforwarda really helping everyone.

We all know we should of sent them off earlier and if we'd know the state hmpo was in we would of but unfortunately we aren't mind readers and didn't foresee a 500,000 backlog (allegedly).

Clabbage, I was an idiot like you with almost identical timescales for my sons first passport. Like an idiot I didn't note down reference number.

I'm due to fly on 19th, and successfully upgraded last week and got the passport the next day.
The 1st person you speak to won't be able to search without a reference number, but the upgrade team can. It took 4 days for me to get a callback once is requested it, and the upgrade took about a week. They said I should be fine not to upgrade (passport due to come on 10th, 9 days before fly) but my nerves couldn't hack the wait so paid the £60.50.

Good luck!

They want votes!

Sorry, you seem to be misunderstanding the situation. I think if estimated times are being issued they should be reliable. I agree, MPs should not have to chase, but when applications get lost, then how would you suggest these are retrieved? Especially given there seems to be no process in place for informing applicants where their applications are in the system. I agree, if people are trying to apply without the appropriate lead time that is wrong. But there is little escalation procedure in place for those applications that get lost (as in my case).

yeah... nobody likes the truth do they?! LOL

Nobody likes a smart a**e

Lol

A lost application ( which is rare) is a completely different issue to having an application which isnt being processed as quickly as you want it to. i can assure you, I have a very good understanding of exactly what is going on!

yeah... happy holidays douchebag. Or maybe not LOL Doh

get real Owl .... you SERIOUSLY dont think MPs would be better investing their time if more important issues?! Really??

im not sure if MPs help or not. I didn't contact mine and to be honest I think shes probably too busy...shes always cropping up on the news talking about different stuff lol.

if MPs have had success in getting passports in the past I don't blame people for turning to them as a last resort.

our passports were issued today and will be with us later in the week. it took 5 weeks but hey. seems like today quite a few people on mumsnet and another forum have had their progress with their passport so hopefully the backlog is clearing a bit!

Thanks to everyone who posted direct number to durham, got through in just 5 mins and spoke to a lovely lady, I then got a call just 6 hours later saying they had everything they need and were issuing passport...without talking to them direct I don't know where id be, I bet if I called 0300 tomorrow they'd still say its awaiting examination!!!

the "backlog" isnt clearing at all ... it is getting worse Im afraid ( see today's press!) Glad you got yours sorted - 0300 people sound absolutely rubbish to be fair!
Glad you didnt have to rope your MP in .... what this actually does is get things rushed through - which may have significant security implications in the future.

@straightforwarda, I appreciate some of d explanations u have given. But in my case what will be keep a first adult passport that the application was be received since feb 15, all d pple at 0300 can tell me that it's under examination.