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Millions of people were affected by delays in processing passport applications and many had their travel plans disrupted this year, a Whitehall spending watchdog has found.
HM Passport Office (HMPO) processed a record number of applications amid “unprecedented demand” as Covid travel restrictions were lifted but struggled to keep up with high customer demand, according to the National Audit Office (NAO).
In the first nine months of this year, 95% of customers received their passports within 10 weeks but 360,000 had to wait longer.
The NAO urged the Home Office agency to learn from the chaos and prepare for similar levels of demand in 2023, when 10 million applications could be made.
Problems with recruitment and limitations in its systems, as well as unsuccessful attempts to deal with demand levels, contributed to the long waits, according to findings published on Friday.
During the pandemic, significantly fewer people applied for and renewed passports, and officials planned for a sharp increase in applications when travel restrictions were lifted.
HMPO projected 9.5 million applications in 2022 – 36% more than a normal year – based on the number of missing applications from the previous two years.
Between January and September, more than 7 million people applied and the Passport Office processed 6.9 million applications, a 21% increase compared to the same period in 2019.
In May, more than 1.2 million applications were received, a 38% increase over the highest month in the previous five years. In the busiest week, 340,000 applications were submitted.
An estimated 3 million passport applications are expected from people who did not renew or apply during the pandemic, meaning the passport office could receive another 9.8 million applications in 2023, the report said.
Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: “HM Passport Office processed a record number of applications amid unprecedented demand. But limitations in its system, along with difficulties keeping up with the above-average number of customers, contributed to delays for thousands of people, caused anxiety for people with travel plans and hampered people’s ability to prove their identities.
“HMPOs must now learn lessons from this year and prepare for similar levels of demand expected in 2023.”
The department is already working to improve engagement with customers and better deal with demand in the future, the NAO added.
A Home Office spokesman said: “The impact of Covid on passport services is not unique to the UK, with passport issuing authorities around the world reporting challenges to their service.
“We know that a small percentage of British passport customers did not receive the service they should have reasonably expected earlier this year. However, we have worked hard to rectify this, and have processed a record number of applications for British passports in 2022, with over 95% completed within 10 weeks.”
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