Passport Office - treatment of disabled

[Jan4a]

My parents have recently applied for new passports - their old one was joint, nowadays you have to have one each.

 

The Passport Office have decided to call my mother in for interview - I spoke to them on the phone today and, despite her being 67, being registered physically disabled and a wheelchair user and having dementia (so she can't speak for herself) they are insisting she go. They will not let my father (her carer) go in her place. The Office is about 15 miles away in the middle of Manchester City Centre with no nearby parking.

 

Despite them applying together for new passports my father does not need to go in for an interview. This is apparently because my mother was named second on the old joint passport (Mr & Mrs), so the Mrs will always have to go in, I assume!

 

They were getting the passports in case she ever felt up to visiting her old schoolfriend abroad, but I don't think they'll bother now, the trip is too daunting for her.

 

Whilst I understand the reasoning re identify fraud etc, surely common sense should prevail at times?

 

Passport office said if she's well enough to need a passport she's well enough to go to office - very understanding! And she isn't actually well enough to go anywhere at moment. It was for future use if ever possible. Plus what is the point of her going if she can't speak for herself? A doctors letter would have confirmed that.

 

Does anyone have any thoughts or has it happened to them?

 

Does anyone know who the best organisation/person to complain to about this is?

 

Thanks

[Bookworm]

A friend of mine whose son is autistic, he got called in for an interview too. Their GP wrote them a letter saying why he couldn't reasonably attend, they let him off. Might be worth a try. ;-)

[dpick]

MY daughter had to go to America for brain surgery she was unable to talk, hear or see but she still had to have a passport. I would like to see them say that she had to be fit enough to attend interview to require a passport, they are talking rubbish.

 

dpick

[Jan4a]

Thanks for replies. It is crazy.

 

Didn't realise either that when the passport office said adults applying for a first passport would have to go in for an interview that actually meant adults who hadn't had their own passports - so anyone on a joint passport, Mr & Mrs, is now classed as a first passport holder!

 

Read somewhere that all these interviews and regional offices have been a total waste of money because despite all this they still haven't refused one passport! So much for stopping identity fraud. Just another excuse to make us pay more and make our lives more difficult.

[Bazooka Boo]

I'd make a formal complaint, it really gets my goat when people act with near impunity, especially government organisations.:mad:

 

Ask them for their complaints procedure

IPS - Complaints regarding passports

 

How to Complain

[Fuzzgin]

Slightly of topic but there's the cost as well (I know, I know, if you can afford to travel....) I'm in the process of getting mine renewed and it cost me £72, I only work a day or two a week due to ill health so that's a huge amount of money. I mentioned it to my boyfriend who's Finnish (expecting sympathy perhaps?) and he told me it would cost him only about 25€.

[Jan4a]

Thanks Bazooka, that's what I was after - I will complain.

 

Fuzzgin - you are right about price, its almost doubled in the 5 years since they opened all these regional offices that have apparently been a complete waste of money! Think I read that on Guardian website.

 

They announced last week its going up by £5 in September.

 

AND I read in Financial Mail a while ago that they reckon that they will soon be pulling everyone in for interview and price will increase to £150 to pay for it! Mail are saying get your passport renewed now even if its not due for a few years to avoid the interview and doubled price.

 

Suspect we'll be getting a lot more complaints about this!

[Jan4a]

Fuzzgin - just thought - its not just about travelling. You can't even apply for a job nowadays if you don't have either a passport or driving licence. My friend's 16 year old has to pay £72 for a passport just so she can prove who she is to get a part-time job at MacDonalds! That's a lot of money for a 16 year old.

 

All about identidy cards they are trying to force in I reckon. Big Brother tactics

[ErikaPNP]

You say your father is her carer. Does your mother have anybody legally appointed to act on her behalf, such as an appointee or a power of attourney?

 

I ask as if this is the case, she is entitled to have her appointee attend in her place.

 

If she has no legal appointee it is definately something worth looking into if she has dementia. This will enable someone else to act on her behalf in all legal situations - representatives are limited in how far they can go but an appointee is not.

[Jan4a]

No ErikaPNP, we don't have Power of Attorney - because she doesn't want to admit she has dementia so it would upset her. And as my father is also officially her carer we are usually OK without it. I have thought about it and if anything happens to my father its a route I'll have to go down eventually.

 

I got them to the Passport Office last week and took them in and left them to it - wish I hadn't because they apparently insisted on my mother going in for interview on her own (despite me telling them on the phone she had dementia). My father probably just accepted it and let them do it. My mother ended up upset and in tears because she couldn't remember her postcode so they then had to go and get my father anyway!

 

What a mess. I will complain now. My dad didn't want me to before because he was scared they wouldn't get passports but they came yesterday (3 days after interview). They are elderly and easily frightened.

[Bazooka Boo]

What a shame, it's despicable that people are treated this way, god knows people care more for animals than they do their own kind!

 

Still at least they have their passports, and let us know how you get on with the complaint, they shouldn't be allowed to get away with it.

 

Boo;)