It really isn’t clear at all. My passport had expired but I lost it when we moved earlier this year. Only by chance by looking at forums like this that I found out I had to report it as lost (even though it had expired) and applied for a replacement on the same day. Luckily the cancellation reference number came through in a couple of days, but even then after only doing a bit of digging, I read that some people had to then contact HMPO to provide the cancellation ref. so that it could be linked to the replacement application as apparently it doesn’t always pull through their end. Keeping my fingers crossed otherwise my other half will be going solo to a wedding in Poland in July!