More than 35,000 people had to wait more than ten weeks for their new passport to be issued during the first three months of the year, according to reports in the national press.
Figures have also revealed the number of full-time civil servants working at HM Passport Office were cut from 3,913 to 3,232 across the last five years.
According to The Times, in a parliamentary answer to shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, the Home Office revealed "thousands" had faced a more-than two month wait for their passport to be issued or renewed between January and March 2022.
The findings contradict Boris Johnson’s claim last month that everyone was receiving their passport within 4-6 weeks of submitting an application.
Speaking to The Times, Cooper said: "Thousands of people have already had to wait more than ten weeks for their passports, far too many passports are getting lost in the system and no one can get proper information out of the helpline."
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