The DVLA are useless and damned annoying.

I was applying ' on line' for my pension and as usual, THEY NEVER MAKE IT EASY.

I needed my Driving License to prove my identity and my brother noticed it had expired back in June of this year and yet I have not heard a whisper from the DVLA concerning this, so I went on line.

Anyone whose Driving License expired before January 2021 have been given an 11 month extension, but nothing stated about anyone whose license expires after January 2021.

So I applied on-line for a new license - or so I tried - REPEATEDLY - until the system LOCKED ME OUT.

It repeatedly stated :-

Re-enter personal details

Sorry... It has not been possible to match you with your driver record based on the details you have provided.

( WHAT THE FUCK ????? I'VE ONLY BEEN DRIVING FOR 50 YEARS NEXT SUMMER... AND HAVE ALWAYS HAD A LICENSE )

Please check your details on the following pages and change anything that is incorrect.

Please consider the following when checking your details:

Check that you have included middle names if these are on your driver record

Check the spelling of names and special characters - e.g. hyphens, apostrophes

Check that one of the addresses you have entered is the address on your driver record

If you need to contact us for further support or information click here

------------------------------

Tried the next day - and after 4 or 5 attempts - once again - it locked me out.

So I called my brother in frustration and he came over and BINGO - the same thing happened - IT LOCKED US OUT.

It repeatedly claims my post code and address do not link up with any details in their system and that when I put my post code in - IT DOES NOT APPEAR FOR MY HOTEL ANYWHERE yet is printed in my passport and on my driving license but the DVLA's on-line system claims I do not exist time and time and time and time again.

Dear God... I've been here 21 years and think I know MY FUCKING POST CODE....

and the house has been here since 1889 - so DON'T TELL ME I AM INCORRECT.

So I tried to phone and before you even ask, don't. The lines are busy all day and it announces for you to phone back - er - like when ??? - it doesn't even put you in a queue it just tells you to call back and hangs up.

SO NO JOY - NO HELP THERE AT ALL. USELESS.

Contacted them through a web site chat thing on the governments page and USELESS - ABSOLUTELY USELESS - you are still talking to a machine that only has several responses and questions and where NOTHING HELPS, believe me, it's a complete waste of my time.

And as usual... COVID IS BLAMED.

It is NOT BECAUSE OF COVID THAT MESSED UP THEIR COMPUTER SYSTEM.

IT IS NOT COVID THAT DENIES MY POST CODE AND ADDRESS ARE GENUINE.

IT IS NOT COVID THAT CLAIMS I DO NOT APPEAR ANYWHERE IN THE SYSTEM - even though I have had a driving license for 50 years ( OMG )

This is just a sign of an incompetent service being offered by an incompetent