Application for reconsideration (NR) return of documents

[gig67]

Dear all,

My Italian wife has EEA PR and applied for naturalisation. It was refused on the grounds that she did not provide some evidence which had been requested in a letter that she never received (sent 2nd class of course). Upon request, HO sent us copy of the letter and suggested to apply for reconsideration, which she did in March attaching the required documents and her passport. Four months later (yesterday) HO writes her to say that they have a lot of backlog and do not know yet when they can process her case. She would like her Italian passport back.

1) Can she get her passport back without withdrawing the application for reconsideration? Will the application be negatively impacted?
2) Is the HO "return of documents" online form the right way to do so? I am in doubt because it does not list form NR among those eligible to apply, among the requirements it says: "the main applicant...may have used one of the following forms AN, BOS, BOTA, EM, MN1, MN2, MN3, MN4, NQ, NS, RN, ROA, RS1, RS2, S1, S2, S3, T, UKM".
3) Is it safe to assume that the 10 working days goal for return will be respected?
4) She had already sent a pre-addressed special delivery envelope, do we need to send/pay anything?

Thanks a lot