Given that the total demand in 2022 was lower than predicted, we asked the Department how it would have managed had the total number of applications been 9.5 million as it predicted. The Department told us that its performance would have depended on when applications were received, but accepted that if the additional 1 million applications had been received in one of its busiest weeks in March, April or May, it would have been “very difficult indeed”.10 The impact of delays on customers