UK PASSPORT OFFICE STAFF EMBARK ON 5-WEEK STRIKE OVER PAY, PENSIONS

Mon 03 Apr 2023:

Passport Office workers are beginning a five-week strike in the increasingly bitter civil service dispute over jobs, pay, pensions and conditions.

More than 1,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) at eight sites are walking out in an escalation of the long-running row, The Independent reported.

Picket lines will be mounted on Monday outside the offices in Glasgow, Durham, Liverpool, Southport, Peterborough, London, Belfast and Newport in Wales. The union said those taking action will be supported by a strike fund.

PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka has written to the government calling for urgent talks in a bid to resolve the dispute.

He has accused ministers of treating its own employees differently to others in the public sector after negotiations were held with unions representing health workers and teachers.

The union is stepping up strikes, with a nationwide walkout of more than 130,000 civil servants planned for April 28.

The Home Office said the Passport Office has already processed more than 2.7 million applications this year, adding over 99.7 percent of standard applications are being processed within 10 weeks, with the majority of those delivered to customers well under this timescale.

There are currently no plans to change official guidance which states that it takes up to 10 weeks to get a passport.

How do you renew your passport?

You can renew your passport online, at a cost of £82.50 (payable by debit or credit card) or by post, at a cost of £93.

For a child passport (under 16), the fee is £53.50 for an online application and £64 for a postal one.

To apply online, you will need your existing passport and a digital photograph.

To apply by post, you will need to fill out a form, which you can get from any post office, which has a check and send service, or by calling the Passport Adviceline.

You will need two new and identical printed photos of yourself.

The Passport Office recommends you have your photos taken in a booth or at a photo shop because they are more likely to pass the standards for a passport photo.

A photo taken in these places will come with a code that you can use to upload the pictures to your online application.

If you take your photographs at home, you will need someone else to take them using a digital camera, tablet or smartphone.

There are strict standards for a passport photo, which you can read here.

You will need to have one of two new print photos validated if renewing a passport for a child aged 11 or under, or if you are renewing your own passport and you cannot be recognised from your existing passport.

If you have unexpired visas in your existing passport, send it with the visa attached to it along with your application.

Your previous passport will be returned to you and you will be able to use the visa if you carry both passports.

How long does it take to renew a passport?

The Passport Office says you should apply for a new passport 10 weeks before you are due to travel.

If you can’t wait that long, you can pay extra to get it sooner.

There are two services available.

A one-week Fast Track service for renewing a passport, replacing a lost or stolen one or applying for a child passport. It costs £155 for an adult passport and £126 for a child passport. You will need to get an application form from a Post Office and book an appointment online.

An Online Premium service for renewing a passport, at a cost of £193.50. The earliest you can get an appointment (where you will receive your new passport) is two days after applying online.

If you need a passport urgently or for medical treatment or because a friend or family member is seriously ill or has died, the government advice is to call the Passport Adviceline .

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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