F-ing DVLA 😡😡😡

[GoodnightGrandma]

Applied for DS’s provisional on-line back in the summer. Money taken out, then nothing.
About 4 weeks ago I finally got to speak to someone after trying hundreds of times. She said we should have had a letter, she’d send another. Nothing.
Tried ringing again, ‘we’re really busy so push off’ message.
What can I do, I want to complain to someone who will listen 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡

I saw in the paper the other day there were over 500,000 applications waiting to be processed. My DDs license in in that. Wanted to update her photo.

I read that one lady had applied 10 months ago!

My DD passed her test few weeks ago on a monday and received her license through on the Thursday. They must be prioritising those who pass their tests.

Its ridiculous. Too many establishments using covid as an excuse. Isnt the union involved in something there too?

www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport/about/complaints-procedure

Try here to complain

It’s time a journalist picked this up and ran it, as it’s a national disgrace.
They can’t hide behind Covid anymore.
People often need licences to work, it’s disgusting.

God I feel your pain. DD applied for her provisional in August, we've heard nothing other than an email telling us it's being processed. Her friend applied 2 weeks ago on a Monday and she received her licence 4 days later 😡 I'm putting off ringing but I think I'll have to.

I applied for DS licence in March.

He gets enhanced PIP and could learn to drive at 16.

He's now over 17 and still nothing.

We competed and returned all medical forms back in April.

The system has says "waiting for forms " since then.

The person in the phone said all forms arrived correctly and they are waiting to put them in the system.

Ds still can't learn to drive and is still limited to getting out and about.

Heres the information on the dates they are processing.

My husband finally got his licence after 4 months. We are moving after Christmas and really don't want to do this all again.

www.gov.uk/guidance/dvla-coronavirus-covid-19-update#processing-dates-for-paper-applications

I was in the same situation with my Ds in June. we were stuck waiting for paper form with photo to be processed for months Forms resent twice Long story short if they have a biometric passport you can now do it all online,I just fully reapplied for him we got the licence back in a week The original one is still waiting according to Dvla so they haven’t even updated their own system!

I think it time the dvla moved out of wales. (Or up north) It appears those working there don’t want to work and are happy using covid as the excuse, and unions supporting them.

Working from hone certainly does not work fir this agency.

We sent off to get our address updated last week and they only took a few days to come back. I’m guessing that a different department though. The backlog number is insane!

www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/1525208/dvla-driving-licence-paper-applications-backlog/amp

This was briefly in the press wasn’t it? They need to pick it up and get more national attention. Why isn’t it on the BBC?

Fucking disgrace for a govt department. Why are organisations still hiding behind COVID as an excuse?

I renewed my provisional at the height of the first lockdown and it came back in 2 days so I don’t really see how covid could be causing problems now. It’s probably the usual problems caused by big staff reductions being dressed up as covid.

Full sympathy. I'm more than six months into reapplying for a medical driving licence and I've recently discovered that I may be forced to withdraw and reapply because the DVLA approved optician I've been referred to is well over an hour's drive away, and their only available appointment is on my baby's due date. If I have to withdraw and reapply, I'll lose my entitlement to drive and the whole bloody process will start all over again.

My hot tip for getting through is to press dial exactly as their phone line opens. It's a pain in the arse and I still end up on hold for 20+ minutes, but it's worked for me the last few times I've needed to call.

We are also waiting for DS provisional.

I emailed my MP who helped by contacting DVLA who just sent out another paper form to attach a photo.

So then we applied for a new biometric passport. Hearing tales that these arrive within a week and we could then quickly get a driving licence. We now have no passport and no driving licence.

There is absolutely no way of contacting DVLA. DVLA can't keep hiding behind excuses.

A shambles, you couldn't make it up.

It is crazy. Hearing about all the delays we applied for dd license early online (biometric passport) and got it within about a week, but friends who are older are still waiting months later. They seem to be able to deal with new applications, just not the backlog which is bizarre. Why not process them all in the order in which people apply 🤷‍♀️.

That's truly awful @itsgettingwierd

My DS applied in Feb and got his back after two weeks.

I sent off my licence for a name and address change after marriage. After month they sent me a letter saying that my licence wasn't in the envelope. I know it was, I celotaped it in there! Now I'll have to pay for a new one, eugh

It took me 6 months to get the V5 back in my name after sending off the new owners slip. Its not fit for purpose, whether it's covid or whatever else they should sort it out.

So DVLA and passport office have both got huge delays. Why?

Because staff are working from home and can’t take physical post?

@GoodnightGrandma

It’s time a journalist picked this up and ran it, as it’s a national disgrace. They can’t hide behind Covid anymore. People often need licences to work, it’s disgusting.

This situation has been pretty widely reported. They were struggling with a huge Covid outbreak. DNephew works there - not from home, but he’s obviously a work shy layabout @MrsDThomas, like the rest of his countrymen 🤷‍♀️ - he says that they must have had 1/4-1/3 staff isolating or sick since the start of the pandemic. Rules have been a bit stricter in Wales than England I think.

Not defending them but there has been a lot of staff sickness with covid, staff say their work space is not covid safe and I imagine a lot of underperforming in the work place staff are now working from home where they don't have colleagues able to prop them up.

@GoodnightGrandma

Applied for DS’s provisional on-line back in the summer. Money taken out, then nothing. About 4 weeks ago I finally got to speak to someone after trying hundreds of times. She said we should have had a letter, she’d send another. Nothing. Tried ringing again, ‘we’re really busy so push off’ message. What can I do, I want to complain to someone who will listen 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡

I had a query for DVSA regarding driving tests and contacted them via Twitter, might be worth a try for you? They were pretty quick to reply.

I did the post office service thing for renewing my photo, so essentially all the checks were done there and it should have been straightforward for the DVLA to print and laminate a new license. It took 4-5 months for it to arrive. They are taking the piss.

@TroysMammy

Not defending them but there has been a lot of staff sickness with covid, staff say their work space is not covid safe and I imagine a lot of underperforming in the work place staff are now working from home where they don't have colleagues able to prop them up.

It's not individual employees fault (I suspect there are a few lazy ones like anywhere though) but it is dvlas fault. If they haven't bothered to make the offices somewhat safe at least, if they evidently haven't figured out how to get the best from working at home (I suspect its not people being lazy but equipment etc), and aren't managing the publics expectations then they need to sort it out. When is it going to end?

@TroysMammy

Not defending them but there has been a lot of staff sickness with covid, staff say their work space is not covid safe and I imagine a lot of underperforming in the work place staff are now working from home where they don't have colleagues able to prop them up.

Everyone has been back at work in normal working conditions, travelling on public transport for months and months. What does 'not Covid safe' mean? It's bollocks.

I know someone who works at the dvla and he is the laziest person I've ever met.