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The Manc -
13th January 2020
The Manc -
13th January 2020 News
New driving test cancellation rules introduced by DVSA to reduce waiting times
Emily Sergeant
Learner drivers will now be required to give longer notice periods when they need to cancel their driving tests in a bid to reduce waiting lists.
Up until this week, anyone who had booked a driving test which they could no longer attend had to change or cancel their appointment within three full working days notice, but now, as of yesterday (8 April), the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) requires learner drivers to give 10 days’ notice.
If learners fail to provide the 10 full working days’ notice, then they will not be able to redeem their test fee back.
According to the DVSA’s new rules, only Monday to Saturday count as working days, while Sundays and public holidays do not.
But why has the change been introduced?
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The short notice cancellation period for car driving tests changes today ⚠️
— Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (@DVSAgovuk) April 8, 2025
You'll now need to give 10 working days' notice to cancel or change your car driving test without losing your fee.
Full details: https://t.co/kryRiMiYim#DrivingTest #LearnToDrive pic.twitter.com/7gSOmLBdJ9
Well, according to the DVSA, lots of people who are not ready to take their driving test leave it until right at the last moment to change or cancel it, and although that appointment then becomes available to other learner drivers, many of them tend to go unused, given the fact it’s so close to the test date and they may not feel prepared enough.
So, the DVSA hopes that by asking learner drivers to give more notice, it should give other people more chance to use the appointment, and ultimately reduce driving test waiting times.
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There are, of course, some exceptions to the rule, with some learners still being able to apply for a refund at short notice if they have an illness or injury, have suffered a bereavement, have to take a school or college exam, or have their provisional driving license stolen.
On top of this, the DVSA has confirmed that it will continue to pay out-of-pocket expenses for any car driving tests that it has to cancel with fewer than three full working days’ notice.
Read more:
- Digital driving licences will be introduced across the UK later this year
- Tailgaters and middle lane hoggers warned to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style
- DVSA warns of scam parking fine text messages that threaten to ‘ban you from driving’
The DVSA is urging learner drivers to cancel their driving test if they cannot attend, rather than just not turning up.
Featured Image –
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More than 80% of Brits think the Government is badly handling the cost of living crisis
Emily Sergeant
More than 80% of Brits think the Government is badly handling the cost of living crisis, a new survey has revealed.
It’s no surprise that the rising cost of living crisis has been one of the defining political issues of the 2020s, not just here in the UK, but right across the world, and according to the shocking findings from a new YouGov survey as we enter the second half of the decade, these financial problems show no sign of disappearing.
56% of Brits, which is a clear majority, say they have been affected by cost of living pressures in recent times, with four in 10 (40%) of those, in particular, saying they have not just had to make cuts to their usual spending, but expect to have to do so again in the future.
Even though a fifth of Brits (21%) say they have been able to maintain their usual levels of spending soon, they sadly anticipate having to make some cuts soon.
Net approval of the government's managing of the cost of living has fallen to -69, lower than the -59 when the Conservatives left office last July
— YouGov (@YouGov) March 31, 2025
Well: 12% (-6 vs 28 Jun-1 Jul 2024)
Badly: 81% (+4)
Net: -69 (-10) pic.twitter.com/iXG8D3xnzb
To really hit home just how much the country’s been affected, the new survey found that just one in five Brits (19%) say they have been able to maintain their usual levels of spending, and expect to be able to continue to do so.
The survey also uncovered who was finding the cost of living crisis so hard to manage, with six in 10 women (60%) saying they have already had to make cuts, compared to just 51% of men, and why they are feeling the affects – with inflation rising faster than wages, on average, being the most common reason.
And when it comes to the Government’s input, responses were far from favourable.
56% of Britons say they've had to make cuts due to cost of living pressures, with 61% expecting to have to make cuts soon
— YouGov (@YouGov) March 31, 2025
Had to make cuts, expect to make more: 40%
Had to make cuts, but don't expect more: 16%
Not made cuts so far, but expect to: 21%
Not made cuts so far and… pic.twitter.com/7V3D011P1G
As mentioned, currently eight in 10 Brits (81%) say the Government is managing the cost of living badly, which is up from an already-high 74% last November, and is also the highest number since back in August 2023.
Just one in eight (12%) believe the Government has handled the matter well, from 15% in November.
Read more:
- New survey finds Keir Starmer is now as ‘unpopular’ among Brits as Nigel Farage
- The cost of living crisis is apparently making people have fewer Sunday roasts
- Government begins giving millions of UK workers ‘significant’ pay rises this month
Even among Labour voters themselves, YouGov found that there was ‘little feeling’ the Government is doing a good job, as only 22% believed it’s been positively handled, compared to two-thirds (67%) who see them as having done badly on the matter.
Featured Image – Jessica Taylor / No 10 Downing Street (via Wikimedia Commons)
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