Delays to driving licences leads to apology

The government agency responsible for issuing driving licences has apologised to drivers who have waited months for their applications to be processed.

Some are still waiting for their new licences despite submitting their applications to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) more than 12 weeks ago, it has emerged.

The DVLA has put the delays down to difficulties clearing a backlog of paper applications from last year.

It is understood that the group most affected by the snarl-up has been the over-70s, as they are required to renew their driving licence every three years.

The public apology was issued in a statement published on the DVLA website.

It sought to reassure drivers that staff are “working hard to reduce waiting times”, adding that it was sorry for the inconvenience caused.

“There may be additional delays in processing more complex cases, for example, if medical investigations are needed as part of your driving licence application,” said a DVLA spokesman.

He said the current backlog was not affecting online driving licence applications.

“We handle millions of transactions every year and there are no delays with our online services, which have been working as normal throughout the pandemic,” he said.

“We encourage customers to use these where possible.”

Drivers have been told to expect a six to 10-week wait for any licence application to be resolved – including change of address and photo changes.

During the height of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown in the UK, motorists were given a period of grace before having to send in their applications.

It saw all driving licences that were due to expire between February 1 and the end of December 2020 given an automatic extension.

That moratorium came to an end last summer, leaving many motorists whose licences are out-of-date rushing to renew.

Motorists who are waiting for their licence applications to be processed should be free to continue driving during this period, the agency said.