French firm handling passport application phone lines is called in by UK government over backlog chaos
The head of a French firm tasked with handling help lines for passport applications has been called in by the UK government over its handling of the backlog chaos.
Teleperformance is being urged to answer questions about lengthy delays on the phones and a failure to process applications, after millions of Brits were left in the lurch by surging demand for the document.
Applicants said staff couldn’t access necessary files from home, with almost four hours of delay on calls before UK customers could get though.
After the pandemic restrictions were lifted, a surge in demand for new passports soared to more than five million, which the government agency failed to deal with. The delay has stalled, some applications by up to two years.
According to the Telegraph, passport office leaders are angry with the company, while prime minister Boris Johnson threatened to “privatise the arse” off the government agency, as well as the DVLA drivers organisation, if they didn’t sort themselves out.
Home office minister Kevin Foster called Teleperformance’s handling of the fiasco “unacceptable”.
Teleperformance and the Home Office have been asked for comment.