Passport Office orders staff to relax application checks to help clear backlog

by Irn Bru Thu Jun 12, 2014 12:27 am

First topic message reminder :

Home Office deploys 100 extra staff and changes policy for applicants overseas, as critics warn of ID theft risk

The Passport Office has ordered its staff to relax checks on applicants for British passports from abroad in an effort to reduce a backlog of at least 30,000, leaked internal documents reveal.

A briefing note sent to staff on Monday, passed to the Guardian, allows Passport Office workers to drop checks on countersignatories, as well as requirements for evidence of addresses and letters of confirmation from employers and accountants.

The beleaguered Passport Office was on Wednesday given 100 more staff by the Home Office in an effort to clear its backlog of applications, which are causing people to delay or miss holidays unless they pay £55 to have their cases fast-tracked.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jun/11/passport-office-relaxes-application-checks-overseas-home-office

The extra staff were workers from the UK Border Agency so I expect they are short now as well. So much for this lot securing our borders.

What a bunch of chancers this lot are

by Guest Mon Jun 16, 2014 9:04 pm

That is the truth, you wouldn't know it if it got up and bit you.

by Tommy Monk Mon Jun 16, 2014 9:22 pm

So, why was everything running So smoothly for 11 months after these closures?

And only after an unprecedented surge of applications over the last month?

No answer?

Didn't think so....

by Guest Mon Jun 16, 2014 9:26 pm

You have already been given the answer, if you want to know it in more details, I suggest you write to Paul Pugh, I'm sure he will be very happy to oblige. Rolling Eyes

Not going to? Thought so.

by Tommy Monk Mon Jun 16, 2014 9:42 pm

So no answer......

Obviously it was due to sudden extremely high demand. Not a few small closures a year ago.

by Guest Mon Jun 16, 2014 9:46 pm

NO IT WASN'T, THEY WERE TOLD IT WOULD HAPPEN THIS YEAR FROM INFORMATION THEY HAD, WHICH IS WHY MAY IS IN TROUBLE. NOW STICK YOUR HEAD BACK IN THAT BIG BUCKET OF SAND.

by Andy Mon Jun 16, 2014 9:53 pm

I am orf to bed, bored with the footy, even more bored with reading Tom's drivel and htmbe is upstairs ready and waiting.
Hope she doesn't expect a marathon session - gotta be up at 4.15 to run my hugely successful corporation

by Irn Bru Mon Jun 16, 2014 10:20 pm

Tommy Monk wrote:So, why was everything running So smoothly for 11 months after these closures?

And only after an unprecedented surge of applications over the last month?

No answer?

Didn't think so....

What makes you think it was running so smoothly over the last 11 months? Winding down the operations in the Embassies abroad and putting in the additional resources here in the UK takes time. They failed to do that quickly enough and the backlog has been building up gradually and with the predicted surge that was predicted coming along the sh!t has now hit the fan.
Meanwhile the checks have been dumbed down and the Border Agency has been raided to supply more effort that should have been there in the first place.
Who is filling in the gaps that they have left?

by nicko Tue Jun 17, 2014 10:22 am

Why didn't the people who wanted Passports for holidays apply a lot sooner instead of waiting till the last minute.?

by Tommy Monk Tue Jun 17, 2014 12:59 pm

Well there's no point spending the money for a new passport unless you Are sure you Are going to be using it.

Maybe people just didn't really have the money until more recently.

And holiday was a late decision for many.

Or maybe they were cooking on lastminute .com.......

lol!

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