‘Delays at Passport Office are putting our jobs in jeopardy’
WORKERS are on the verge of losing job offers because of months-long delays at the Passport Office.
Some desperate applicants have been waiting since March for the issue of their documents, and say they are struggling to get through to customer service or are receiving contradictory advice every time they call.
Olivia Arigho-Stiles, 28, said she risked losing a job offer with the British Council to teach English in Mexico because of “infuriating” delays.
After submitting her application in March, she was told in May the application had been withdrawn for no reason.
After The Sunday Telegraph intervened, the Passport Office said it would offer Ms Arigho-Stiles a free, fasttracked application. Early this month, it claimed the passport had been issued.
But Ms Arigho-Stiles still is not in possession of the document. She said: “They have not issued the passport and I actually strongly suspect they haven’t even processed this new application.”
She now risks missing a visa appointment on Aug 18 and her flight to Mexico, which is booked for Aug 28.
She is not alone, with complaints flooding in on social media. Jacquie Knox wrote on Twitter: “Is there anyone we can talk to regarding the application. MP contacted, one holiday moved, one job offer withdrawn. This is frankly not acceptable. No response to emails either!”
Erika Dodridge wrote on Twitter: “Your services are appalling. I have lost a job offer because you have not returned my old passport with my visa.”
The Passport Office has been plagued by delays as staff struggle with the demand for international travel following lockdowns. It has extended its waittime for new applicants to 10 weeks but many are waiting far longer than this.
The Passport Office said: “Staff are processing approximately 250,000 passport applications each week, and between March and May 98.5 per cent of applications were completed within the published time of 10 weeks.”