Holidaymakers trying to get their passports renewed in time for their summer breaks could be facing even more frustration and delays, according to an internal memo leaked to the press.
The problem lies within the computer system at the Passport Office, whose workers are struggling with it in their efforts to plough through around half a million applications for new passports and renewals. Some of the workers there are saying the system is not fit for purpose.
They claim the software designed for issuing the passports was implemented in too much of a hurry and that staff have resorted to going back older, slower manual routines to try to get to grips with the mounting backlog. According to reports in The Times and The Sun, disgruntled staff claim they are being made to feel like “peasants” while ministers and executives responsible refuse to support them.
The processing system, described by workers as "creaking, deeply flawed and half-working", is threatening to cause havoc for holidaying Brits, some of whom have been waiting many weeks for their renewed passports to arrived. Many have claimed their wait has stretched beyond 10 weeks. Anyone applying for a passport now may not receive their passports until at least mid-July, and possibly weeks beyond, meaning that for some a holiday abroad with the family during the school summer break will simply not happen. Appointments cannot be booked online.
The Times newspaper said it has obtained memos that it claims suggest this may only be the "beginning of a very lengthy scenario.” However, a spokesman from the Passport Office has said 250,000 passport applications were being dealt with each week and that the “overwhelming majority” of applications were completed within 10 weeks.
But the problems don't stop there. Passport office workers have also accused the company that runs the passport advice line of providing misleading information, stirring more frustration among passport applicants.
It is thought that just under five million passports expired during the Covid-19 pandemic when travel restrictions put the tourism industry on hold and passports were left to gather dust. With the lifting of restrictions came a huge rush of renewal applications, resulting in the Passport Office warning that the turnaround of renewals would need to double, from five weeks to 10.
It was reported that one family lost out on a £3,000 trip to Disneyland because of the delays. Despite applying for their daughters' passports months in advance, the delays meant the family could not go. One passport did arrive in time, but a second failed to materialise.
Another family claimed they applied for children's passport renewals in January and still hadn't got them back.
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