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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think this really isn't that complicated!!

29 replies

PumpkinPie2013 · 09/03/2014 13:00

Aargh! DH and his sister are starting to drive me batty over renewing MIL's driving license!!!

MIL is 81 and has been sent a form to renew her license.

DH/SIL said they'd sort it as she isn't good with forms/internet but honestly they are making it far harder than it needs to be (imo)

The only license MIL can find is an old paper one. She says she has never had a new photocard one.

So I said to DH that we need to send a passport photo with the form as they will now only send a photo license.

BUT! Because the form says 'you do not need to renew your photo' DH and SIL cannot grasp the need to send a photo.

I've explained several times now that if she had a photocard already dvla would have it on file hence no need to send a new photo. However as MIL never had a photocard, they won't have her photo on file so we need to send one.

I honestly fail to see why two supposedly intelligent people are finding this so difficult to understand!

Please someone tell me it's not just me who thinks this is straightforward?

OP posts:

Nomama · 09/03/2014 13:06

You are obviously right. NU at all.

Good luck though. Siblings together are a hard nut to crack.

magimedi · 09/03/2014 13:07

YANBU - but if MIL is having trouble with form filling is she still OK with driving?

LRDtheFeministDragon · 09/03/2014 13:07

No, sounds perfectly straighforward to me.

Loads of people have the old paper license - my dad lost his a while ago and had to send in for a new one, and had to send a photo. It's pretty obvious, surely?

Do they just not grasp she can't have a replacement paper one?

Raxacoricofallapatorius · 09/03/2014 13:13

Oh you have my sympathies. I had a sort of similar problem recently trying to explain to my Mum the procedure for passports and entering Ireland until I was so filled with barely-concealed rage that I had to Go Out For A While.

RoganJosh · 09/03/2014 13:16

Just let them do it and have it sent back.

pudcat · 09/03/2014 13:18

Photocard licenses were introduced in 1998 - 16 years ago. Your MIL should have renewed her license at 70 years old - 11 years ago. Therefore she must have been issued with a photocard one. This should be renewed every 10 years.

diddl · 09/03/2014 13:25

Is it a problem with understanding "renew"??

She has never had a photo on therefore this isn't a renewal, it's a first application for one!

diddl · 09/03/2014 13:28

And what pudcat says!

My dad is 82 and I'm sure renewed at 70 and it had to be a photo one.

mrsminiverscharlady · 09/03/2014 13:29

Save your breath and let them get on with it. Then smirk when the application gets returned

OutragedFromLeeds · 09/03/2014 13:32

Ask them to put a photo in just to humour you? The DVLA can always throw it away if they don't need it.

Tryharder · 09/03/2014 13:33

Agree. Keep well out of it and they will have to sort it out when they return it.

ilovepowerhoop · 09/03/2014 13:37

if she has a passport they can use the photo from that so you may not need to send a photo

ilovepowerhoop · 09/03/2014 13:40

www.gov.uk/renew-driving-licence-at-70#before-you-start

ilovepowerhoop · 09/03/2014 13:42

what is the expiry date on the paper one as the licence should have been renewed at age 70 at which point she should have got a photocard one

ilovepowerhoop · 09/03/2014 13:44

and looks like they need renewed every 3 years after the age of 70

pudcat · 09/03/2014 13:44

It says on the web site that you can be fined for not renewing your license.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 09/03/2014 13:46

Sounds as if either she's forgotten she ever had the photocard, or she's not been driving?

Don't they automate some of the checks? I don't follow how she's had insurance for 11 years if she's not had a valid license.

It does sound a bit worrying about her driving if she's not really managing this stuff any more.

pudcat · 09/03/2014 13:58

Yes ilove it is every 3 years for over 70, so pumkins's MIL should have had at least 4 photocard licenses by now. And another one when she is 82 next birthday.

ohfourfoxache · 09/03/2014 14:15

Sit back with a and leave them to it!

Bunbaker · 09/03/2014 14:33

"but if MIL is having trouble with form filling is she still OK with driving?"

Or if she can't remember getting a licence with a photo on it then she shouldn't be driving. My friend's mum started having memory problems and my friend wrote this on the form. Her mum had to retake her driving test which she failed. She pulled straight out of a junction without looking for a start. I think the test examiner was glad to cut short the test.

phantomnamechanger · 09/03/2014 14:34

how can she have got way with not having a photocard for all this time - who has been doing her renewals? also if she can't manage a simple enough admin task like this - ought she to still be driving?

phantomnamechanger · 09/03/2014 14:37

well done your friend bunbaker, too many people pussyfoot around their elderly relatives instead of tackling uncomfortable conversations about their fitness for driving, its like they just cross their fingers and hope all will be well.
It is not mean, it is not robbing them of their dignity or independence to point out that maybe they are not up to driving any more. It is about public safety, and more people should be reporting their concerns.

EurotrashGirl · 09/03/2014 15:01

I agree that she shouldn't be driving if she can't sort out her own drivers license.

MaidOfStars · 09/03/2014 19:14

I recently got my first photo licence and had to include an actual photo. What I didn't need to do was have the photo/form countersigned because I also included my passport number. This means the DVLA can (I assume) cross check the photo I sent to them with the one on my passport, which HAS been countersigned at some point.

honeybeeridiculous · 09/03/2014 19:23

My DF had to renew his (70) he had a paper one, and they asked him if they could take his photo and signature from his passport, all done internally by them, much less hassle!

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