Closed petition Investigate massive delays and inconsistencies within the Passport Office
The government should investigate the current state of the Passport Office and work towards improving the service overall by shortening wait times, fixing the dire standard of customer service and implement a more detailed tracking system for people's applications.
More details
Current inconsistent wait times and responses (or therefore lack of) from the passport office is currently causing immense amounts of stress for people applying/renewing their or their children's passports.
10 weeks processing time, passports and important documents going missing and total lack of communication or explanation of what is happening at each step in the process causes people to call in/complain online and receive useless responses after paying extortionate amounts of money.
This petition is closed All petitions run for 6 months
Government responded
This response was given on 11 October 2022
Government does not intend to investigate but the National Audit Office is investigating performance due to unprecedented demand this year. Any resulting recommendations will be carefully considered.
In a normal year, HM Passport Office processes 7 million passport applications. Due to COVID-19, only 4 million applied in 2020, and 5 million in 2021.
Following the return of unrestricted international travel, HM Passport Office forecasted that up to 9.5 million British passport applications would be made in 2022.
HM Passport Office prepared extensively for this unprecedented demand. A project team operated throughout the second half of 2021 with sole focus on ensuring readiness across the service. This included consideration of supplier preparedness, system resilience, and operational capacity.
These preparations have ensured the service has responded robustly to the challenges of this year. More British passport applications have been processed than ever before, with an average of 800,000 applications being completed each month. This has been helped by increasing staff numbers by 1,200 since April 2021. HM Passport Office will continue to recruit to cover attrition and ensure it remains fully resourced.
This impact of COVID-19 on passport services is not unique to the UK, with passport issuing authorities across the world reporting increased processing times.
Since April 2021, people have been advised to allow up to 10 weeks when applying for their passport from the UK. 96.4% of applications were completed within that timeframe between January and July of 2022. Where an application from the UK has taken longer than 10 weeks, and the customer can evidence that they are due to travel within the next fortnight, then their case will be prioritised at no additional cost.
With elevated demand for passports expected to continue in 2023, it is anticipated applications will take longer than in pre-pandemic years. However, every effort will be made to return processing times to the previous timeframes as soon as possible.
In response to Teleperformance’s delivery of the Passport Adviceline not meeting the required standard, the Home Office has worked constructively with them to ensure that they meet the needs of passport customers. Their performance has improved significantly, and across August they exceeded the required service standard for calls answered.
Each month, HM Passport Office conducts customer surveys with its customers to gather feedback about the service provided. In July 2022, 72% scored 8, 9, or 10 out of 10, for their experience (where 10 is excellent). In preparation for the continued high demand, further efforts will be made to enhance the service offered. This will include improvements to messaging and customer contact, to help better meet the needs of those with an application in progress.
While any loss of document is regrettable, it is comparatively rare. Every attempt is made to recover misplaced documents, and HM Passport Office works with its suppliers to develop measures to reduce the number of losses.
Although the Government has no plans to investigate, the National Audit Office will be reporting on the effectiveness of managing the passport service, in response to correspondence received from Members of Parliament and the public. Alongside its own efforts to continue to improve the service provided, HM Passport Office will carefully consider any recommendations made by the National Audit Office to help ensure that it continues to best meet the needs of its customers.
Home Office
This is a revised response. The Petitions Committee requested a response which more directly addressed the request of the petition. You can find the original response towards the bottom of the petition page (https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/608931)
Related activity
Passport Office backlogs debated by MPs
On Tuesday 14 June, MPs debated delays in the processing of new passport applications by HM Passport Office. This was an Opposition Day debate on a motion determined by the Labour Party.
During the debate, MPs highlighted how delays and backlogs in the processing of new passport were impacting people. They also discussed the steps the Government is taking to increase the Passport Office's capacity and output, including recruiting additional staff.
Watch the debate: https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/79df4646-9e11-48a6-af6d-15932ea92534?in=12:48:50
Read a transcript of the debate: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2022-06-14/debates/526271D8-AFD5-4E77-97E8-E4F348EB3F57/HMPassportOfficeBacklog
What are Opposition Days?
Opposition days are days allocated in the House of Commons for the discussion of subjects chosen by the opposition (non-government) parties.
Find out more about Opposition days: https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/glossary/opposition-days
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MPs examine Passport Office backlogs
The MPs on the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee have examined Passport Office backlogs in a one-off 'evidence session' on Wednesday 20 July, and called for improvements to how the Passport Office manages applications.
Evidence session on passport backlogs
During the session, MPs took evidence from Passport Office director Thomas Greig, travel expert Simon Calder, and Ed Clarke from TNT Courier Service, which is contracted by the Home Office to deliver passports.
Topics discussed at the session included:
- Delays in processing passport applications
- Issues with the courier service used to deliver passports
- The service provided by the Passport Adviceline
MPs call for Passport Office reforms
Following its evidence session, the Home Affairs Committee has written to the Home Secretary calling for improvements to how the Passport Office manages applications. In its letter, the Committee calls for:
- the Home Office to review the terms of its contract with Teleperformance to ensure improved performance and avoid applicants being left in the dark
- more pro-active communication to manage demand, for example contacting customers during periods of low demand to encourage early applications
- modification of the digital application system to enable family groups to be linked and processed at the same time, avoiding gaps of several weeks between individual passports arriving
- monitoring of the number of people attempting to access the priority service and consider setting minimum targets for the number of new slots made available each day
- extensions of up to six months to be offered for passports nearing expiry under certain circumstances
Read the Committee's letter to the Home Office.
What is an evidence session?
An evidence session is a hearing where people with expert knowledge or experience of a particular topic, such as Government officials, academics, or campaigners, answer questions from MPs on that topic. They help the MPs on a committee to gain a deeper understanding of the topic being investigated.
What is the Home Affairs Committee?
The Home Affairs Committee is a cross-party group of backbench MPs that looks into the work of the Home Office and its associated public bodies.
- Find out more about the Committee
- Follow the Committee on Twitter for updates on its work.
The Home Affairs Committee is a select committee. Find out how select committees work.
Get involved in the work of the UK Parliament
Sign up to the Your UK Parliament newsletter for the latest information on how to get involved and make a difference.
Original Government response
Since April 2021, customers in the UK have been advised to allow up to 10 weeks to get their British passport. 96.4% of applications were processed within this timeframe between January and July 2022.
In a normal year, Her Majesty’s Passport Office processes 7 million passport applications. Due to COVID-19, only 4 million applied in 2020, and 5 million in 2021.
Following the return of unrestricted international travel, Her Majesty’s Passport Office forecasted that up to 9.5 million British passport applications would be made in 2022.
HM Passport Office prepared extensively for this unprecedented demand. A project team operated throughout the second half of 2021 with sole focus on ensuring readiness across the service. This included consideration of supplier preparedness, system resilience, and operational capacity.
These preparations have ensured the service has responded robustly to the challenges of this year. More British passport applications have been processed than ever before, with an average of 800,000 applications being completed each month. This has been helped by increasing staff numbers by 1,200 since April 2021. HM Passport Office will continue to recruit to cover attrition and ensure it remains fully resourced.
This impact of COVID-19 on passport services is not unique to the UK, with passport issuing authorities across the world reporting increased processing times.
Since April 2021, people have been advised to allow up to 10 weeks when applying for their passport from the UK. 96.4% of applications were completed within that timeframe between January and June of 2022. Where an application from the UK has taken longer than 10 weeks, and the customer can evidence that they are due to travel within the next fortnight, then their case will be prioritised at no additional cost.
With elevated demand for passports expected to continue in 2023, it is anticipated applications will take longer than in pre-pandemic years. However, every effort will be made to return processing times to the previous timeframes as soon as possible.
In response to Teleperformance’s delivery of the Passport Adviceline not meeting the required standard, the Home Office has worked constructively with them to ensure that they meet the needs of passport customers. Since mid-April, Teleperformance have worked to add over 800 additional staff which, alongside technical improvements, has led to the Adviceline now operating within the required service levels.
Each month, HM Passport Office conducts customer surveys with its customers to gather feedback about the service provided. In July 2022, 72% scored 8, 9, or 10 out of 10, for their experience (where 10 is excellent). In preparation for the continued high demand, further efforts will be made to enhance the service offered. This will include improvements to messaging and customer contact, to help better meet the needs of those with an application in progress.
While any loss of document is regrettable, it is comparatively rare. Every attempt is made to recover misplaced documents, and HM Passport Office works with its suppliers to develop measures to reduce the number of losses.
Home Office
This response was given on 23 August 2022. The Petitions Committee then requested a revised response, that more directly addressed the request of the petition.
Home Office responds to calls to improve management of passport applications
The Minister for Safe and Legal Migration has responded to a letter from the Home Affairs Committee, in which MPs called for improvements to how the Passport Office manages applications.
The exchange of letters follows an evidence session the Home Affairs Committee held into Passport Office backlogs, after which the Home Affairs Committee wrote to the Home Secretary recommending a number of changes to how the Passport Office manages applications.
How has the Government responded to the Committee's recommendations?
In its response to the Committee's letter, the Minister for Safe and Legal Migration says that:
There would be value in exploring options to spread demand for passport applications across the full year, but they have not yet identified a viable incentive to bring demand forward to the autumn or winter.
The Committee's recommendations for changes and additions to customer messaging would will help to inform HM Passport Office’s work to review customer messaging ahead of the continued elevated demand that is expected in 2023.
Options have been explored to increase appointment capacity to further support customers with urgent travel needs, and this work led to the opening of an eighth public counter in early June.
It does not consider it sensible to offer an emergency service for passport extensions of up to 6 months.
Home Affairs Committee scrutiny of Passport Office backlogs
MPs on the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee examined Passport Office backlogs in a one-off 'evidence session' on Wednesday 20 July, and called for improvements to how the Passport Office manages applications. Following its evidence session, the Home Affairs Committee wrote to the Home Secretary calling for improvements to how the Passport Office manages applications.
What is the Home Affairs Committee?
The Home Affairs Committee is a cross-party group of backbench MPs that looks into the work of the Home Office and its associated public bodies.
- Find out more about the Committee
- Follow the Committee on Twitter for updates on its work.
The Home Affairs Committee is a select committee. Find out how select committees work.
Get involved in the work of the UK Parliament
Sign up to the Your UK Parliament newsletter for the latest information on how to get involved and make a difference.