Passport fee increases to £77.50

The 7.6% rise is the first since 2007

By TTM on 08 July 2009 in News

The cost of a new passport is to rise by £5.50 to £77.50 prompting suggestions that this was a way to raise funds for ID cards.

The new price will take effect on September 3rd. A child's passport, which has to be renewed every five years, will go up by £3 to £49.

The price rise has been blamed on the recession with the Identity and Passport Service claiming fewer people were applying for passports which has hit revenues.

"This year the demand has fallen and we must ensure this lost revenue doesn't affect our ability to deliver a quality product and excellent customer service", said chief executive James Hall.

Conservatives claimed the cost of ID was being 'lumped onto passports. This looks like a blatant attempt to bury part of the cost of the ID scheme in the price of a passport', said shadow home secretary Chris Grayling.

Matthew elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance added: 'This rise is deeply unfair, particularly when the economy is in such dire trouble and people are increasingly stapped for cash. It is another warning of how costly ID cards could prove to be.'

A Home Office spokesman denied that the price increase was not related to the cost of setting up the national identity card scheme, as revenue for the passport service is ring-fenced.

The cost of renewing a passport under the fast track scheme is also set to rise, with an adult passport costing £112.50 - up £15.50 while those in a hurry to get a passport for the child will pay £96.50 also up £15.50.

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