Afternoon All,
Agreed the whole process is a total shambles with absolutely no ownership.
My wife applied for a first passport on 11 March 2022 (latest processing times sat at 5 weeks)-tracker updated on 29 March 2022 as documents received.
In the interim did the usual chasers by phone and was told by the progress team it had just been approved on 15th April 2022 and was waiting to go to print.
Informed a few days later NOT APPROVED when I chased for an update – in the interim travel had been booked given the apparent good news.
Lost count the number of times I’ve chased for an update – it was only after I contacted my local MP (who emailed the Home Office)on 28th April 2022 that tracker changed to being processed.
Passport has since moved from Liverpool to London and is now in Durham! Promised it would be expedited via the upgrade service – heard absolutely nothing – with travel due on 6 May I have no faith whatsoever of it arriving. Friends of my wife in exactly the same situation have applied weeks later and received a passport
Time for a new Home Secretary – current incumbent is clueless.