Passport stuck in a pile? Here’s what to do

The Passport Office has drafted in extra staff and is operating from 07:00 to midnight every day to try to deal with a flood of applications that has led to reported delays of several weeks for those waiting for new passports.

It has also recruited extra staff to operate telephone helplines, which have new extended opening hours from 07:00 to 22:00 weekdays and from 08:00 to 18:00 at weekends.

Those facing an anxious wait for passports who are due to travel in the next few days are being advised to call the Passport Office directly on 0300 222 00 00.

Anyone who applied for a passport by post or through the Check & Send service may also be able to pay to upgrade to a Premium service if they are travelling in the next few days.

They should call the Passport Adviceline with the barcode number of their application, which was on the original application form.

Further advice is available at the Passport Office website at www.gov.uk/get-a-passort-urgently.

In a new statement issued today, the Passport Office said it has redeployed 250 staff from back office roles to front line operations.

It now has over 1,000 staff manning telephone helplines, it said, almost three times more than usual.

In addition, Passport Office counter services in London, Glasgow and Liverpool have extended their opening hours. Staff have been redeployed from back office roles to provide customers with additional appointments, it said.

However, those who are due to travel in the next few days and fear their passports applications might be stuck in a pile are not advised to reapply by making a personal, emergency appointment. "It is better for them to call the Passport Office to chase their original application and maybe see if they can upgrade to the Premium, fast track service," said a spokeswoman.

Passport chief executive Paul Pugh denied there was a backlog and claimed that 97% of straightforward passport renewal and child applications had bee processed withn the three week target turnaround time.

He added: "We have been experiencing exceptional early summer demand for passports, in part due to the improving economy and a rise in holiday bookings.

"Staff were brought in immediately to respond to the extra demand; we are operating seven days a week and our couriers are delivering passports within 24 hours of being produced.

"We have issued almost three million passports for UK customers in 2014, including over one million issued in the eight weeks since the start of April.

"During this busy period we have processed more than 97 per cent of straightforward passport renewal and child applications within the three week target turnaround time.

"There is no backlog — over 99 per cent of straightforward applications have been processed within four weeks.

"We would remind people of our existing advice to customers: allow plenty of time when applying for a new or renewed passport as a passport will not be issued until the necessary security checks have been done, and do not book travel until you have received your passport."