Some passport interviews suspended amid backlog
Interviews for first-time applicants for passports have been suspended in London as staff struggle to deal with the 30,000 backlog of applications, the Home Office has said.
Passport staffing claims 'misleading at best'
Ministers are being "misleading at best" if they claim the government has increased staffing levels in the passport service by using the last two years as a baseline, a senior Labour source has said.
According to Home Office figures, staffing levels in the passport service stood around 14% lower in 2013/14 than in the first year of the coalition government.
- 2010/11: 4,017
- 2011/12: 3,134
- 2012/13: 3,284
- 2013/14 (announced in parliament yesterday): 3,444
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How to fast-track your passport urgently for free
The Home Office has outlined how people who are facing delays to their passport renewal can get it fast-tracked for free.
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What you can do to speed up your passport application
If you are worried about your passport application not being ready ahead of your holidays, there are a few options available to you.
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Passport Office 'in blind panic' as 'backlog' revealed
Photos shown to ITV News appear to reveal the scale of the backlog at the Passport Office, amid staff claims of "blind panic".