The issue with the renewals isn’t just Covid-19 they moved 80% of the staff who where working in the offices to the nearest DWP universal credit processing centre. Apparently they are moving back to the passport office on 1st July.
A lot of the office staff for HMPO where asked back to work to get the backlog done at end April to mid May and they refused due to unsafe working conditions in almost every site at the request of the trade union.
The fact you can’t upgrade your renewal either is a very contentious rule IMO. Seen someone crack up on their twitter saying give me my passport or my money back. That’s not going to get you anywhere with them, you are at their mercy but some people have held onto the hope they get their holiday after this lockdown.
Some will say in the grand scheme of things we are being selfish but when you have thousands of pounds you have busted a gut to earn for 7/10/14 days in the sun then you are entitled to be anxious and feel frustrated especially when it is a renewal and one or both parents have passports it should be an “easy hit” imo.
