Recommendation 20

Sopra Steria Ltd. failed to meet its service level targets for five months from March to July 2022. Its worst performance was in April, when an average of just 42% of applications were processed within the target timescale, and it sometimes took up to two and a half weeks to register an application in HMPO’s digital system.32 HMPO told us that Sopra Steria Ltd. had experienced difficulties recruiting staff, and that it had improved its performance by the end of July. HMPO also explained that that Sopra Steria Ltd.’s delays had not affected overall processing times because of the delays that HMPO itself was experiencing in approving applications. HMPO did, however, acknowledge that Sopra Steria Ltd.’s performance caused concerns for customers.33