If it has been more than 6 months since you applied for a residence card, I suggest you do any or all of the following:
1.) Contact your local member of parliament and ask them to contact the home office. They have an emergency line that the Home Office must respond to within a few days. They have to explain why it is taking so long. I got my refusal within 2 weeks of my member of parliament emailing the Home Office.
2.) File a pre action protocol letter. Email the letter to
UKBAPAP@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk
3.) After 14 -21 days, file for judicial review.
Here is the template for a pre action protocol letter
http://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/proced ... v#IDAGJKCC
They don't want to respond to your application because they seem to be under orders to issue blanket refusals. Once you get a refusal, you can appeal against it. You are 75-90 percent likely to win in your appeal. I suspect they are stalling until they can change the rules to prevent you from obtaining a right to reside. I also suspect they keep your passport because the only way you can get it while your application is under consideration is for you to withdraw your application.