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DVLA to recruit 400 more staff to clear lockdown backlog

Geograph/Alan Hughes entrance to DVLA officeGeograph/Alan Hughes
The DVLA head office in Swansea has had a reduced capacity since lockdown in March

The DVLA is to recruit 400 additional staff to help clear a backlog of applications caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The jobs at its head office in Swansea will be fixed-term temporary posts.

Drivers have criticised the agency for leaving them without crucial documents because of delays

The DVLA has blamed the problems on having fewer staff on site during lockdown due to social-distancing guidelines.

In an advertisement for the positions, the DVLA said it is "working hard to ensure we meet the needs of our customers during these unprecedented times".

It added: "The need for additional resource across our services to support our response to Coronavirus is a key focus."

Getty Images A British driving licenceGetty Images
Photocard driving licences that expired during lockdown have been automatically extended

The DVLA said previously there had been "significant delays" in processing paper applications that have continued to flood into its office throughout the pandemic, with a current average of around 250,000 envelopes received weekly.

"Our online services are working as normal and we've processed more than 18 million online transactions since March," it said.

To help, the DVLA has automatically extended photocard driving licences and entitlements to drive that expired between 1 February 2020 and 31 August 2020 for seven months.