Taxpayers have been forced to foot the bill for a surge in Passport Office compensation payouts after complaints soared. The agency was forced to pay out more than £850,000 in compensation between 2019 and the end of last year, figures show. Over the period, complaints which resulted in payouts more than doubled from around 2,000 to 4,200. Last year alone resulted in compensation payments to disgruntled passport applicants reaching more than £1,000 per day, with payouts averaging close to £120 over the five-year period, freedom of information figures revealed. The Passport Office has been under intense scrutiny as it has grappled with a surge in enquiries from people keen to travel abroad again after the Covid restrictions were lifted. People applying for a passport in the peak summer months were warned of long administrative delays before their documents would be processed. Some people were forced to go for the Passport Office’s premium services, which cost more money, so they could jump the queue and keep their holiday plans on track. It coincided with strike action that resulted in thousands of Passport Office staff walking out in a dispute over pay and conditions. Chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, John O’Connell, said: “Taxpayers are tired...