A family hoping to go abroad for their summer holiday have said they are facing losing £1,000 as they wait for a passport renewal.
Jenny Craig told the Mirror that she sent off the renewal of her son Isaac’s passport 12 weeks ago. This was so he could travel with the rest of the family to Italy in around four weeks’ time.
However, they are now facing a race against time as three months after sending off the paperwork, the family still have not had Isaac’s new passport arrive. If the trip does not happen, the family stand to lose just under £1,000.
People around the UK are currently experiencing long delays for passport applications and renewals. The Passport Office is advising people to submit their paperwork 10 weeks in advance.
However, some people have said they have been waiting longer than the advised time period. This includes Jenny and her family.
The 43-year-old mum-of-two who works in communications said she already had to cancel a holiday to Morocco planned for Easter. As a result, they received a voucher for the flights they were unable to take along with a refund from the hotel they had booked.
Jenny said: “We waited until a week before we cancelled our trip to Marrakech – we knew it wasn’t going to happen. We are trying to go to Italy in May, in about four weeks’ time. I’m pretty sure it won’t happen.
Recent research from the Centre for Economics and Business Research estimates a 50% probability of a “successful and timely” passport renewal process for travellers based on current reports. “Data from the VisitBritain Covid-19 Consumer Sentiment Tracker shows that more than two in five are planning an overseas trip in the coming 12 months,” it said.