Can we claim compensation from the DVLA

[tunaep]

I want advice on something which has happened recently with the DVLA, but first some background information.

 

My wife has glaucoma has done since birth, she is currently 42. She has lost sight in one eye and has regular hospital appointments to check to her eyes.  At the moment everything is fine and there has been no change in her vision in decades.

 

With this eye condition my wife has to apply to have her licence renewed every 3 years. She has an eye test at Specsavers which is sent to the DVLA for review. Her licence was due for renewal November 2022 and she had the eye test as per the process.

 

The end of November she received a letter from the DVLA saying she has failed the eye test, he licence has not been renewed and must stop driving immediately.  This is obviously devastating for several reasons, we as a family had to make significant changes to our life.  I had to do all the driving, kids to and from school 7 miles away, wife to and from work 4 miles away, drive to the shops, kids swimming lessons, sporting events etc.  We had to plan which child's sporting activities because they regularly overlap.

What was most distressing was my wife thought her eye sight had deteriorated so much in less than a year. Her previous hospital appointment they said there was nothing wrong with her vision and there has been no change; then the DVLA write and say her eyes are so bad she's not allowed to drive.  The image of her physically being sick, screaming "I dont want to go blind" is something I will never forget.  

 

We decided to appeal the DVLA decision. This evolves paying for a eye and field vision test and sending it off to the DVLA. If it is more favourable, they will send you to Spec Savers to do the official test again.  We sent off the eye test results to the DVLA which the optometrist said was normal.  A few days later my wife got a phone call from the DVLA saying her licence has been renewed and she can start driving the next day.  This not the process they said, which made us suspicious.

 

Still be worried that her vision is borderline, that she had only just passed the eye test and we may only have 3 more years of her being able to drive, we emailed the DVLA asking which aspect of the vision test did my wife fail.

The reply from the DVLA basically said, there was nothing wrong with the original test, she easily passed it and it was a clerical error.

 

The 2 weeks between having her licence revoked and getting it back, is some of the worse times of our lives. I had to make up several hours of work a day taking family to and from school / work, and I cant imagine the emotional distress to my wife felt questioning her livelihood and in fear she is soon going to be blind.

I am basically asking do you think there are grounds for compensation for emotional distress caused by the DVLA's error?

[BazzaS]

1) Formal complaint regarding losses and distress due to DVLA’s maladministration, to DVLA Drivers’ Medical Group.

 

Expect it to take ages, and then be fobbed off.

 

2) Escalate complaint to DVLA Chief Exec.

 

Don’t expect much more than 1), but on more glacial timescale.

 

3) Then PHSO (via your MP), complaint regarding losses and distress due to DVLA’s maladministration.

 

Step 3) requires exhausting DVLA’s composing process via 1) and 2) first, though.

[BazzaS]

1 hour ago, BazzaS said:

 

 

Step 3) requires exhausting DVLA’s composing process via 1) and 2) first, though.

“composing process” is a typo:

“Complaints process”