Passport hell please help

[1wanttogoonholiday]

I'm due to go on holiday next Wednesday. I can't get any sense from the general passport helpline. My child's passport renewal is in Durham. What is the best number for them? It doesn't seem that it will be with us in time. When I spoke to the general line today they said we had been upgraded today but they have been misleading me for days. I've been ill and unable to fly for a year so this is our first holiday for ages. I am desperate and don't know how to resolve. I'm near London passport office so I could go there if necessary but not sure what to do. I am going to call Durham tomorrow but the passport has been with an examiner since 18 July and I sent it in a week before that.

Did you mean 18th of June? If so that is far too long and you're more than entitled to get this sorted out very soon. I've just advised someone else on another thread to email their MP as this is what I was advised to do on here and it has worked for me. Find your local MP by googling them and send them an email explaining your situation and include all your details like barcode and full name, DOB etc. Explain that you've spoken to the helpline and no one can help you. Your MP will then take your case on and call them directly for you on a number that's not available to the public. They should email you back quite quickly and let you know what's going on. Please do make them aware of how soon you are travelling as there is every chance they can get it to you in time. It only takes a matter of hours to finish examining your application, get it printed and get it to the courier so it can easily be with you the day after it's sorted. You can also try emailing the CEO of the passport agency, Paul Pugh. People have advised that on here but I didn't get a response when I did it and my MP just took the case on so it didn't really matter. My MP told them to make my case a priority and I received a phone call from the examiner less than 4 hours after they received the document they requested (after 5 weeks in examination!) and was told by the progress team at 4pm today that they've been issued now. I won't relax until I have them but feel very hopeful that I will have them in the next couple of days. (If you did mean the 18th of July I can't guarantee you'll be able to get fast tracked for free as its well within the 6 week timeframe that they're advising people but as you travel so soon you should be able to get your mp to get you a callback to fast track at least). Good luck and try not to stress!

0845 601 5175 That is the Durham number.
I called it on a Wednesday. Got a call back Thursday and passports sent to me on Friday at 9am. They were great. They said they were processing them in order of travel dates. They had my passport for 5 weeks without looking at them. But the printing process is super quick. Get on the phone.
Good luck