Wonklegs, the photo on a passport must have a darker / different colour background for those with very light skin and hair, so that when the photo is encrypted into the hidden "chip" it is easy to see the contours of your head and your head doesn't fade into the background. My hubby fell foul of the guidance for photos he didn't bother to read - he had a white shirt against a white background and looked like he almost didn't have a body, resulting in the photo being rejected, it was quite ironic, given hubby's job!!!! I was in fits when I saw the rejection letter, he couldn't see the funny side.
Edith, no you're not fined for failing to renew your passport, just met many many people who have not been able to travel because they didn't renew their passports, the excuse given is often "no-one told me my passport had run out". Sometimes it's very hard when people genuinely don't look at find on travelling they cannot travel. But ultimately, it's the individual's responsibility and not the state's responsibility.
If a driving licence is just out of date, I think you might find many Police Officers will make a pragmatic judgement on whether to fine or not, whereas if a licence is more than a few months out of date, then I don't think there would be so much discretion.
I still say £20 is really not too much to renew a driving licence.