Does anybody work for the DVLA?

[pilates]

I am at my wits end. Son applied for his provisional licence online back in April last year. We received a letter saying it wasn’t accepted with no explanation as to why and we had to do a paper application although payment was taken in April by debit card. I sent the paper copy in September with our new address as we moved in the June and haven’t heard a thing. I cannot get through by web chat or phone and have sent numerous emails which have been unanswered. Help what do I do now? No other businesses would get away with this awful customer service.

The DVLA is not a business and you are not a customer. It's a government agency.

They have had horrific backlogs due to covid, I know you're not the only one. They had my friends identity documents for over 4 months (she's from NZ) which prevented her leaving the country!

Unfortunately all you can do is wait I think.

The DVLA are dire. They are not recognising my son's provisional license number so he cannot book a theory test. They don't have an email and if you try to use a web form you have to reference the license number which it doesn't recognize. My son ran up a £72 phone bill on hold to them last week but they still haven't fixed the problem.

But I just need to speak to somebody to check the paper copy hasn’t got lost in post. Are you saying because it’s a government agency they are not accountable ?

Good question! We only applied in November but they has to send a paper copy out as DD didn’t have a biometric passport. No paperwork has ever arrived and like you, payment was taken.
I haven’t been able to get though on their contact number, have tried numerous times and an email send in January has never had a response.

To have waited from last April though

I waited two years for my licence !!
You can get through over the phone but you have to be endlessly on hold
Which doesn’t work for the majority of people
Or try Twitter

You only have to look at the numerous threads on here from frustrated posters waiting months and months for driving licences, etc, with no way of communicating, to know that the DVLA are shit. The passport office is somehow managing to keep up to date with applications, despite covid. It's dire that there's no way of getting in contact.

It's weird because my son sent off for his provisional licence in August 2021, got it back December 2021.

We've just done my daughter's, took around a month at most, she got it back last week.

I sent more info off for my daughter's provisional licence in earl Jan (2022) and she got her licence back less than 2 weeks later- it must just be post luck which is worse than wholesale inefficiency in some ways 🤦🏼‍♀️

Sent for my Son's provisional beginning of July 2021.They sent back the supporting documents and took the payment.
In October I tried chasing it up to no avail and they then returned the application saying I needed to supply the documents!
Returned everything within a couple of days and tried looking it up online where it said it was awaiting documents,and it stayed like that for weeks.
December I tried calling many,many,many times couldn't even get in the queue.
Tried emailing any email I could and messaged them through Facebook .Even though they replied it wasn't particularly helpful,(call the helpline!!)
End of January it finally came through! Huzzah!
In this time replaced his passport and that was done and dusted in a month.
I feel your pain and wish I could offer a solution.
Good luck

DS applied for his provisional licence in August last year. He declared that he takes anti-depressants on the application. He had a letter a week ago asking about his medical conditions. We returned the form and are now waiting to see what happens next....

Update: I got through and had to hold for 30 minutes to be told my paper application has been lost. So I’ve been told to apply again online as they have updated their system and should be more efficient. We will see!

@StiggyZardust unfortunately the Medical dept seems to be the most inept of the lot