Driving licence backlogs at the DVLA

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 13 Oct 2022 Closed: 1 Jun 2023 Parliament page
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is an executive agency of the Department for Transport that works to maintain the records of 50 million drivers in Great Britain and 40 million vehicles throughout the United Kingdom. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, some people experienced delays applying for or renewing their … Read more
10 Recommendations
16 Conclusions
1 Report
1 Oral session
1 Event
Activity timeline 4 events
30 May
2023
Report published
17 Mar
2023
Report published
24 Nov
2022
Oral evidence
24 Nov
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
24 Nov 2022
View on parliament.uk
Driving licence backlogs at the DVLA
Dame Bernadette Kelly DCB · Department for Transport Emma Ward · Department for Transport Julie Lennard · Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Forty-first Report - Driving licence backlogs at the DVLA HC 735 17 Mar 2023 26 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
26 results
2 Recommendation Accepted
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
The DVLA’s communication during the pandemic was ineffective, leaving many customers feeling as if their...
The DVLA’s communication during the pandemic was ineffective, leaving many customers feeling as if their applications were making no progress. Customers had huge difficulty contacting the DVLA’s call centre during the pandemic to enquire about the progress of applications. Between … Read more
Government Response
The DVLA has a dedicated telephone line and email service which is exclusively for the use of MPs and other elected representatives if they have queries on behalf of their constituents. The DVLA aims to reply to correspondence from MPs within eight working days.
HM Treasury
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3 Recommendation Accepted
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
The DVLA’s efforts to encourage customers who can use online services to do so are...
The DVLA’s efforts to encourage customers who can use online services to do so are not sufficient. Some customers need the option of applying for a driving licence using a paper form, but the DVLA assesses that around 60% of … Read more
Government Response
The department will develop an ambitious set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) through which the department can hold them to account for the delivery of their plans and business-as-usual performance and will hold the DVLA to account for take-up of online services through this governance process.
HM Treasury
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4 Recommendation Accepted
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
The DVLA gave insufficient attention to those driving licence service areas, such as medical notifications...
The DVLA gave insufficient attention to those driving licence service areas, such as medical notifications and its call centre, where staffing challenges led to the most detrimental consequences for customers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the DVLA prioritised services with the … Read more
Government Response
The DVLA prioritises its core functions while using its systems and equipment to help other government departments deliver their targets where feasible and works closely with the DVLA to ensure there are no negative consequences on its core purpose.
HM Treasury
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5 Recommendation Deferred
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
The DVLA’s system to process applications from customers who have notified it of relevant medical...
The DVLA’s system to process applications from customers who have notified it of relevant medical conditions is slow, inefficient and in need of major improvement. Processing times for applications that involve the DVLA making a medical decision are far longer … Read more
Government Response
Ministers will shortly be considering proposals for action and the department will update the Committee in its subsequent letter, setting out those actions together with a more complete timeline.
HM Treasury
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6 Recommendation Accepted
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
The Department and the DVLA have not taken a strategic approach to maintaining and improving...
The Department and the DVLA have not taken a strategic approach to maintaining and improving the infrastructure, estate and processes that the DVLA’s performance depends on. The Department has taken a hands-off approach to the DVLA, failing to ensure that … Read more
Government Response
The DVLA already has a strategy in place to further develop its digital driver licensing services for driver licensing and, in addition to continuing to improve the accessibility and usability of its online services, the DVLA is also transforming its IT infrastructure.
HM Treasury
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1 Conclusion Accepted
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence...
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department for Transport (the Department) and the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (the DVLA) on the scale and nature of the backlogs in … Read more
Government Response
The DVLA already has systems in place to identify and prioritise driving licence applications and will prioritise cases where the DVLA has been provided with evidence that a driving licence or identity documents submitted are required urgently. With additional resource, the DVLA is also triaging drivers’ medical cases to ensure that cases are assessed on receipt so that those that can be, are processed quickly.
HM Treasury
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7 Conclusion Accepted
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
We are also aware of other cases from our constituency work, for example of people...
We are also aware of other cases from our constituency work, for example of people being unable to work after a five-month wait for a driving licence and a bus driver threatened with losing his job because of delays at … Read more
Government Response
The DVLA has systems in place to identify and prioritise driving licence applications and will prioritize cases where the DVLA has been provided with evidence that a driving licence or identity documents submitted are required urgently. With additional resource, the DVLA is also triaging drivers’ medical cases to ensure that cases are assessed on receipt so that those that can be, are processed quickly.
HM Treasury
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8 Conclusion Accepted
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
The Department acknowledged in the session that the human stories behind these cases can be...
The Department acknowledged in the session that the human stories behind these cases can be genuinely very difficult, commenting that “this is not just a numbers game. It is not just about processing and backlogs. It is about real people … Read more
Government Response
The DVLA already has systems to prioritize urgent driving license applications and will triage medical cases to ensure quick processing and expedite responses from medical professionals where possible.
HM Treasury
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9 Conclusion
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
From April 2020 to March 2022, the DVLA did not answer 60 million calls to...
From April 2020 to March 2022, the DVLA did not answer 60 million calls to its drivers’ licence customer service number, 94% of the total it received. The number of calls to the DVLA about driving licences surged in Summer … Read more
HM Treasury
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10 Recommendation Accepted
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
The stress and frustration customers felt as a result came across as a clear theme...
The stress and frustration customers felt as a result came across as a clear theme in the written evidence our inquiry received from members of the public. For example, one person told us “Having no contact was useless because for … Read more
Government Response
The DVLA publishes information on the quickest way to transact on GOV.UK and during the pandemic published estimated processing times for key services. Information relating to section 88 and how someone may be able to continue driving while their application is being processed formed a key part of DVLA responses and briefings to media during the pandemic. A new call back feature was launched initially on DVLA’s drivers medical telephone service in December 2022 and gives customers the option to be called back by a DVLA advisor.
HM Treasury
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11 Recommendation Accepted
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
Many customers went to their MPs for help: complaints received via MPs increased from 2,600...
Many customers went to their MPs for help: complaints received via MPs increased from 2,600 per year in the two years before the pandemic, to 26,800 in 2021–22. The DVLA explained to us that people were coming to MPs because … Read more
Government Response
The DVLA has a dedicated telephone line and email service for MPs and other elected representatives, aiming to reply to correspondence from MPs within eight working days.
HM Treasury
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12 Conclusion Accepted
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
The DVLA told us it has recently modernised its telephony systems, so in future it...
The DVLA told us it has recently modernised its telephony systems, so in future it should be able to cope better with surges in demand. For example, with the new system it can more easily increase the number of telephone … Read more
Government Response
The government says that the DVLA already has a strategy to develop its digital driver licensing services and has invested in new online services.
HM Treasury
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13 Conclusion Acknowledged
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
The DVLA told us that at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic its first priority...
The DVLA told us that at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic its first priority had been to maintain its online services because most licence applications are initiated online.26 In the periods during the pandemic when customers who applied on … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the importance of providing non-digital options, highlighting the DVLA's existing digital services and strategy to encourage their use, while noting the challenges of paper applications and the need to avoid disenfranchising those unable or unwilling to use online services.
HM Treasury
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14 Conclusion Acknowledged
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
The DVLA told us it estimates that about 60% of the paper-based applications it receives...
The DVLA told us it estimates that about 60% of the paper-based applications it receives could have been made online, and so those customers experienced longer waiting times than they needed to. During the pandemic, the DVLA investigated the reasons … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendations and highlights existing actions by the DVLA to promote online services and address concerns about data security, and to improve services.
HM Treasury
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15 Recommendation Accepted
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
We are concerned that the DVLA does not have a more active strategy for encouraging...
We are concerned that the DVLA does not have a more active strategy for encouraging customers to switch from paper to online services, relying on customers to decide themselves to make this transition rather than proactively encouraging and supporting them … Read more
Government Response
The DVLA has launched ten new online services during the pandemic and has run four paid campaigns promoting online services since the beginning of the pandemic. The DfT will support the DVLA in gaining the relevant approvals for further paid campaigns to promote the take up and use of online services. The DVLA reflects the higher cost of paper transactions by charging more for certain paper applications than the equivalent online channel and will review this.
HM Treasury
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16 Conclusion Not Addressed
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the DVLA prioritised those services with the highest volumes of applications...
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the DVLA prioritised those services with the highest volumes of applications or where it believed processing delays would cause greater problems. The DVLA told us that in 2020, it prioritised reducing the backlog in paper applications … Read more
Government Response
The response discusses the success of the DVLA's online services during the pandemic and the challenges with paper applications and medical applications, but it doesn't address the prioritisation decisions made during the pandemic.
HM Treasury
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17 Conclusion Not Addressed
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
The DVLA’s system for managing paper-based driving licence applications relies on people being on site...
The DVLA’s system for managing paper-based driving licence applications relies on people being on site to manually process applications. The DVLA and the Department told us that when they determined priorities in 2020, they knew this system was susceptible to … Read more
Government Response
The response discusses the success of the DVLA's online services during the pandemic and the challenges with paper applications and medical applications but does not address the DVLA's reliance on in-person processing of paper applications.
HM Treasury
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18 Conclusion Acknowledged
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
At the onset of the pandemic, the DVLA sought to make paper driving licence services...
At the onset of the pandemic, the DVLA sought to make paper driving licence services more resilient. The NAO reported that the DVLA decided to find additional office space in April 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales had just … Read more
Government Response
The government highlights that online services worked well, but the challenge was with paper driving licence applications and drivers’ medical applications.
HM Treasury
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19 Recommendation Accepted
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
The DVLA told us how it undertakes work for other parts of government to make...
The DVLA told us how it undertakes work for other parts of government to make best use of the DVLA’s infrastructure, expertise and the spare capacity becoming available as customers switch from paper to online applications. For example, it produces … Read more
Government Response
The Department states that it works closely with the DVLA to ensure that taking on work for other government departments has no negative consequences on the DVLA's core purpose.
HM Treasury
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20 Conclusion Acknowledged
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
Despite the DVLA clearing the backlog in most driving licence applications by mid- 2022, there...
Despite the DVLA clearing the backlog in most driving licence applications by mid- 2022, there remains a backlog in applications that involve the DVLA making a medical decision. Processing times for applications that involve such decisions are still far longer … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation but highlights that the number of cases where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued have returned to normal levels.
HM Treasury
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21 Recommendation Accepted
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
Customers experiencing problems after notifying the DVLA of medical conditions have consistently been the main...
Customers experiencing problems after notifying the DVLA of medical conditions have consistently been the main source of complaints to the DVLA since 2018–19. In 2021–22, around 53% of all complaints to the DVLA were in this category, rising to 68% … Read more
Government Response
The government states that the number of medical licensing cases has returned to normal levels, with many decisions made quickly, but the remaining delays are due to waiting for information from third parties like the NHS.
HM Treasury
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22 Conclusion Deferred
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
The Department commented that the current legislative framework of medical licensing has not been looked...
The Department commented that the current legislative framework of medical licensing has not been looked at for a very long time and raised the question of whether it was still fit for purpose. Many factors have changed since the legislation … Read more
Government Response
The government disagrees with the recommendation to review the legislative framework of medical licensing, stating that Ministers will need to decide whether and how any strategic review or alternative action is undertaken and will update the Committee in its subsequent letter.
HM Treasury
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23 Conclusion Deferred
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
We also heard that the DVLA’s decisions often require information from GPs and other medical...
We also heard that the DVLA’s decisions often require information from GPs and other medical professionals, which is requested and returned using paper documentation. 40 Q 47; Letter from DVLA to PAC dated 8 December; Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency, … Read more
Government Response
The department is currently unable to agree to this recommendation as Ministers will need to decide whether and how any strategic review or alternative action is undertaken, and will update the Committee in its subsequent letter, setting out those actions together with a more complete timeline.
HM Treasury
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24 Conclusion Acknowledged
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
The evidence we heard from the Department suggested to us that it has taken a...
The evidence we heard from the Department suggested to us that it has taken a hands- off approach to the DVLA, and not ensured that the DVLA’s services are periodically reviewed and improved through timely adoption of modern working practices … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation to set out a strategy for how the DVLA will re-engineer and modernise the driving licence process over the next 3 to 5 years but only restates existing actions rather than committing to something new.
HM Treasury
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25 Conclusion Acknowledged
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
The pandemic exposed weaknesses in the DVLA’s current operations which rely heavily on staff working...
The pandemic exposed weaknesses in the DVLA’s current operations which rely heavily on staff working on site and IT systems that hold customers’ personal information which staff can only access on site. Currently, remote working is limited, particularly for operational … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation but only restates existing actions rather than committing to something new.
HM Treasury
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26 Conclusion Accepted
Forty-first Report - Driving licen…
We challenged the DVLA and the Department about their strategy for future of the DVLA.
We challenged the DVLA and the Department about their strategy for future of the DVLA. The Department told us that conversations are happening about what the future of driving licence services should look like. We heard that the DVLA will … Read more
Government Response
The DVLA has been digital for years, and online services worked well during the pandemic. The DVLA already has a strategy to develop digital driver licensing services, investing in new online services and communications.
HM Treasury
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Government Response AI assessment · 25 of 10 classified
Accepted 14
Acknowledged 6
Deferred 3
Not Addressed 2
Total 10 recs + 16 conclusions