More than half a million drivers have waited more than 10 weeks to receive their new driving licenses after applying for renewal by post, figures have shown.
People are facing loss of employment and have been unable to travel abroad to events including family funerals due to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency backlog of paper applications, MPs have claimed as they demand action.
Despite drivers being warned that applications may take up to 10 weeks, as of the start of September, 517,881 drivers had waited longer than 10 weeks for approval, the Telegraph reports.
The data, obtained via a Freedom of Information request by the newspaper, also showed that there were 185,385 outstanding applications requiring a medical decision which were more than 10 weeks old.
Figures obtained by FOI show that more than half a million drivers have been waiting more than 10 weeks for their driving licence renewal applications to be approved by the DVLA
The DVLA has said they have hired more staff and secured more office space in a bid to tackle the backlog of paper applications, which has been blamed on rolling industrial action and social distancing.
Earlier this month, four out of five members of the Public and Commercial Services Union voted to continue strike action which has taken place throughout the year.
But only just under 40 per cent of those balloted actually voted, below the legal threshold of 50 per cent, forcing the union to seek urgent negotiations with DVLA senior management to discuss remaining Covid health and safety concerns.
The backlog has prompted 62 MPs from across the political divide to sign a letter addressed to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps urging him to take action.
Learners, the elderly and those with medical conditions have been hit by the longest waits for documents from the DVLA.
The delays mean that those who have submitted important ID documents, such as their passport, as part of their
