![]() ![]() "The Covid-19 restrictions introduced in March 2020 meant that most of the DVLA’s staff could not work at its site in Swansea, affecting DVLA’s ability to process applications. It said that the DVLA still deals with a significant amount of physical paper applications "which can only be processed on site. The report studied how reliant many of the processes were on people working in the office, particularly in processing paper-based applications. ![]() “Some of the DVLA’s operations are antiquated, it lacks a comprehensive strategy for modernisation and on the PAC we're unconvinced they’re more ready for the next crisis.” It found widespread failures in the way the body operated and was set up, including in its call centres, where 94 per cent of the 60 million calls it received between 20 were left unanswered.ĭame Meg Hillier MP, head of the committee, said: “The pandemic inevitably made operations more difficult, but the DVLA and Department for Transport were not prepared for the challenge of keeping essential driving licence services running and especially not for those who needed it most. ![]() It revealed that more than 3 million people who had applied for a driving licence since April 2020 had experienced delays to their applications. In some cases the delays hit people’s income and led to job losses, while others saw their mental health severely affected by the delay, the report said. More than 33,000 of these applicants had to wait more than 200 days for their licences to be processed. This was particularly a problem for those applicants with medical conditions who mainly apply on paper, which the DVLA does not allow to be done from home. When Covid restrictions in 2020 meant staff stopped going to the office, delays were caused. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) found that the DVLA relied heavily on people being on site to process applications. A reduction in staff in the office during the pandemic contributed to such bad delays at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) that people lost their jobs while waiting for a driving licence, a report by MPs has found.
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