Passport advice!!

[30degreesandmeltinghere]

Ds lives on army camp 6 hours from my home () . Has this bizarre idea he can go abroad in August!! (not going to shatter his dreams!)
He was advised 10 weeks to await passport arrival. Unless he gets the fast tracked mahoosive bucks option of interview then wait 7 days. Closest office is near me . Apparently I can attend the interview as his named representative... Checklist says I need his bc and mine. And his signed photo and passport form. Has anyone any experience of this? Appointment lasts 30 mins.

There are a couple of threads on kids passport renewals, with people saying they have come back massively quicker than predicted (DS's took just over 1 week at the end of June). That said, the massive number of isolations recently may have pushed the time lines back out.

He is 19 -

Is it their first one or a renewal? I posted my renewal application and received my passport within a week, as did my parents and a couple of colleagues. I work next to a passport office and chat regularly to people who work there, its v quiet atm, probably be ok to just post it, it's not like he's going to be needing it ...