Drivers waiting for their licences have slammed the long tailback to get their permits back.
The Driver and Vehicle Licencing Authority's own figures released last month show that hundreds of drivers are still waiting on renewals – three months after applying by post.
And the DVLA has apologised for the disruption which it blames on Covid and social distancing at its main office in Swansea, Wales.
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But the apology is cold comfort to those who have been passed fit to drive by medics - but are still waiting for get their licence reissued, months after the application went in to the DVLA.
Most motorists waiting for their applications to be processed are still allowed to drive, but those whose licence has been revoked on medial grounds are not allowed to get behind the wheel until their licence is reissued.
Teacher Claire Shorting, 40, of North Shields, was forced to rely on her husband, Mark, and friends to ferry her three children around after her licence was revoked following a vertigo attack last year.
She only received her licence back last week - nearly six months after she was cleared for driving by her consultant, and she slammed the DVLA for the hold-up, which, she said, was not good enough.
"DVLA had all of the documentation for six months," she Claire, who lives on the Marden Estate. "They then came back to me in December and asked me to fill another questionnaire and said they would be in touch within six weeks.
"All in, it was about 12 weeks after I filled the questionnaire in that I got my licence back, and in the meantime, I was phoning daily and not being able to get through and Tweeting them, to be told to keep persevering! In the meantime, I have had to rely on the goodwill of friends to help get my children to after-school clubs and use taxis to get to work with all of my books. It severely affected my well-being and quality of life. I was very patient but I grew sick of their excuses."
It's a similar story for Bedlington carer Annie Coltman-Thomas, who is still waiting for her licence to be returned a year after she was passed fit to drive by medics.
Annie, 56, said she is furious with the DVLA, who she claims told her she has to be patient since last March. She was advised to stop driving in September 2020, after she blacked out while driving on the A19, but was cleared as fit to drive by her her GP and neurologist in March 2021.
"Since then, I have waited and waited," said Annie, who works at The Willows Care Home, in Bedlington. "Because I have no licence, I have had to declare the car off the road on a SORN declaration, and have to keep the car at my late finance's house in Killingworth because I don't have off-road parking at home and SORN cars can not be kept on a public highway. I can't get car insurance because I don't have a licence which proves I am fit to drive.
"I am getting fed up of finishing a night shift on Sunday morning and having to walk home when I have a car that I can use, which would make life so much easier.
"I am really sick of waiting now, I just want to get in sorted and find out how on earth it takes this long? I am endlessly being told by DVLA that my application is being processed but they can't tell me how long it will take, and I was told that I couldn't drive until I got my licence back. I think I have waited long enough."
The DVLA issued a statement last month, in which it apologised for the ongoing backlog in dealing with applications.
A DVLA spokesperson said: “When considering an application to issue a driving licence we aim to make a decision as quickly as possible. However more complex transactions, for example if medical investigations are needed, will take longer. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
“Although we can't comment on individual cases, once a driver has submitted their application they may be able to continue to drive while we are processing it, provided they have not been told by their doctor or optician they should not drive.”
The spokesperson said ongoing COVID safety measures and industrial action added around 400,000 applications to those already waiting to be processed and increased the wait time by around two months.
They said the DVLA has recruited more staff, increased overtime and opened new customer service centres in Swansea and Birmingham to help reduce waiting times for customers and is issuing around 200,000 driving licences each week.
Those requesting a new licence because they have changed their name or address are waiting nine weeks, and the wait for a first provisional driving licence is 10 and a half weeks
Pensioners are waiting 12 weeks for updates to their licences due to ongoing Covid delays exacerbated by strike action. It is mandatory for over-70s to renew their driving licence every three years. However, a backlog that began at the height of the pandemic means many retired drivers have been left without valid documents.
Learner drivers looking to take their practical test are facing five month delays due to a backlog after lockdown.
Test centres are experiencing “extremely high demand” for bookings due to a backlog of learners who haven’t been able to get a slot following the coronavirus crisis. Driving tests had to be suspended in January last year because of the third lockdown and didn’t restart until April at the earliest.
