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 they found it difficult to get through to the DVLA. The DVLA believes the surge in complaints to MPs reflects a change in customer behaviour towards bypassing its usual complaints procedure and going straight to MPs.22 In our constituency work we had mixed experiences of dealing with the DVLA on their behalf – including some very positive experiences but not all so. We felt the DVLA could have done more to keep MPs informed about the problems it was experiencing and advise MPs on how they could help their constituents.23 Although most people affected by the backlogs were able to continue driving under an exemption in the Road Traffic Act 1988, this was not clear to many people.24