June 10, 2014

Passport staff have been working seven days a week to cope with the number of applications. 

The Passport Office has denied that it is failing to cope with applications, despite claims of severe delays.

Paul Pugh said more than 99% of "straightforward applications" were being processed within four weeks.

His comments follow earlier denials by Theresa May and the Home Office of major problems in the system.

Unions have claimed job cuts over the past five years are to blame for long hold-ups.

Mr Pugh has been asked to appear next week before the Commons home affairs select committee and Labour MP Geoffrey Robinson has called on him to make a "graceful exit".

The Passport Office boss said there had been "exceptional" summer demand but that extra staff have been brought in to handle applications.

"We are operating seven days a week and our couriers are delivering passports within 24 hours of being produced," he said.

"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% of straightforward passport renewal and child applications within the three week target turnaround time."

Home Secretary Theresa May told the Commons on Tuesday of an "unprecedented" demand for passports earlier this year.

But, she said, the Passport Office had still managed to achieve its customer service targets.

Trade unionists believe there are 500,000 applications in the system but are unsure how many are delayed

Speaking during a debate on government's plans for the year ahead in Parliament, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said MPs from all sides of the house had been contacted by worried constituents worried their applications.

She accused Mrs May of "taking her eye off the ball".

The home secretary said it was "not true to say that the number of staff at the Passport Office has gone down" since "the number of staff at the Passport Office has gone up."

But she acknowledged prompt handling of applications was a matter of concern for people and the situation would be monitored.

The Home Office has insisted there is no backlog but that 300,000 more applications were received in the first five months of 2014 than in the same period last year and staff were working seven days a week to deal with them.

The Commercial and Public Services Union has said it believes there are 500,000 applications currently in the system but it does not know how many have been delayed.

It has claimed the loss of a tenth of the agency's workforce in the past five years and the closure of local passport offices has contributed to "major problems".

Applying for a passport

Guidance on the Passport Office's website says it should take three weeks for passports to be renewed although the process can take longer if more information is required or the form is not filled out correctly.

It states that people should not book holidays or make other travel plans until they have a valid passport, adding that those doing so do it "at their own risk".

Standard adult passports cost £72.50 to renew or £81.25 if you use the Post Office's Passport Check and Send service. Child passports cost £46 or £54.75 respectively.

Those needing a passport urgently can pay extra for a premium or fast-track service. A premium service, costing £128, means passports can be collected within four hours of being approved.

Under the fast-track service, costing £103, a passport is returned within a week of the application being approved.

For over-16s applying for their first adult passport, the Passport Service says people should allow for at least six weeks to receive it.

In the past, overseas applications were handled by embassy and consulate officials in seven regional processing centres around the world under the direction of the Foreign Office.

But between December 2012 and March 2014, responsibility for the application, handling, printing and delivery of overseas passport applications was transferred to the Passport Office in the UK.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-27789916