Those waiting for their driving licence to arrive have been warned they may have a longer wait.
This comes after an investigation by the National Audit Office (NAO) looked into the management of backlog applications in the wake of the pandemic. As restrictions came into force around the UK, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) were not able to process paper applications and many of the staff weren't allowed in the office, naturally causing a delay.
The report stresses that the DVLA has been processing standard driving licences at normal levels following the backlog that resulted from the pandemic, however there are still delays in applications from drivers with medical conditions, according to the National Audit Office.
READ NEXT- Glasgow train strikes November: RMT issues update as three days of industrial action suspended
It must be noted that the majority of driving licence applications are made online with only four per cent from people with medical conditions. Applications from drivers with medical conditions, are predominantly paper-based, but are still taking longer to process than expected and a backlog of these applications remains. The DVLA normally expects to make 90 per cent of medical licensing decisions within 90 working days but suspended this target from April 2020 due to the pressures of the pandemic.
According to the report, difficulties in obtaining medical information from GPs and other medical professionals, that the DVLA needs to make a licencing decision, contributed to the delays.
The NAO adds that this year, in February the DVLA had 333,000 medical licensing applications in progress, three times the average number of these applications in progress during 2019-20, but since February, the government organisation cleared on average 17,700 more cases per month than it has received. Following that, in September 2022 the DVLA had managed to reduce this further to around 207,000 applications in progress, 100,000 more than the normal number of applications in progress.
Gareth Davies, head of the NAO commented: "The DVLA was not able to process paper-based licence applications while Covid-19 restrictions prevented many of its staff from being on its site, resulting in a backlog of work. Most licences are now being processed within expected times, but drivers with medical conditions continue to wait longer than normal. While the DVLA’s digital strategy aims to make the application process more efficient, the full benefits of this remain three to five years away."
A DVLA spokesperson said: “As the NAO report recognises, our online services worked well throughout the pandemic with 95 per cent of digital applications for ordinary driving licences processed within three working days. Between April 2020 and September 2022 we issued more than 24 million driving licences, the vast majority of which were issued without delay.
“Covid-19 restrictions in Wales meant fewer staff were able to work on site to process the 13 million items of mail we receive a year. All standard paper applications were back to normal turnaround times earlier this year. There are some delays in processing applications where drivers have told us of a medical condition but in the majority of cases applicants can carry on driving unless they have been told not to by a medical professional.”
READ NEXT-
Low income families in Scotland to get £260 boost this Christmas
Martin Lewis issues 'act now' warning urging people to put £1 into HSBC account
DWP Cost of Living £324 payment won't be paid on first day to most people
Households with children up to 16 to get November income boost
£400 energy rebate may be used by supplier to pay off account arrears this winter
