I was going to say similar, by the time you’ve paid to fight them could you not just retake the test?
I understand the principles of already having done it, but it could end up being the cheaper and easier option
My sympathies to ya Stevie, and i wish you luck… I took an ( old psv ) test years ago,and in those days one had to get a transport manager to sign the licence forms just to say basically that you were working as a psv driver anyway, upon my renewals as a HGV driver I noticed that my psv wasnt on the licence and dug out the old one and sent that off to DVLA, only to be told that my licence was the old paper type, and i had not changed it over before, and now i have lost the rights, i failed to see the reason why if someone has taken a driving test, regardless of how long ago it was, should lose the right to drive that class of vehicle, yet they wouldn’t reason, even though i pointed out that it was their duty to change the records over from Penton Street Islington, where the records use to be kept, and put into their own archive…i have given up with it now, but just shows that even though you took a test, even though they admit you had a valid licence, still wont transfer or issue it again.
PS, your case is a bit different i agree, but as you have proved you too a test, i dont see the reason why you cant continue along that route.
Is your MP worth a light, or one of the betrayers who ignores their constituencies wishes and will be out of work come the next election 
If the former it might be worth giving them the facts and asking them to intervene, it’s a pen pusher at Swansea who can exercise their bit of power and ride roughshod over us plebs, they might not be so cavalier when an MP asks the question and if they ■■■■ the right MP off might be answering to the relative minister.
I can’t see a union taking on a case from a non member, if they did this there would be no point in people joining a union at all yet benefitting from the better T’s and C’s the union negotiated…oh wait 
just book a course and do a new test. if you book it right now you know its going forward and youre proper committed then. the moneys spent will give you the real determination
have you worked for any company that is or was a member of the RHA or FTA, both have legal teams that might have been paid into, and as an employee you might be covered,
some agencies are members as well,
Always have found Juddian fairly switched on and he’s right,your MP, most are useless but he/she might be desperate for your vote fairly soon.
Find out when their next surgery is,get your bits of paper together and go along and give he/she your case.And they WON’T cost you any money.
good Luck.
Wow. Thanks everyone. I have some decisions to make, eh?
First, here’s why I want to reclaim my licence from DVLA rather than just take the test again.
I may fail the test. Simple as that.
I’m not saying I’m a bad driver, or that I can’t do it anymore, just that there are so many variables in getting a Class 2 today. I may fail.
I passed the test once, I was good enough back then, I’m good enough now to carry on.
Thanks, rocketsquadron.
Emailed my grievance to URTU website complaints form. Got an email back asking for my membership number, I emailed back saying I’d be happy to join. Waiting for the reply. Will see, then, if they want to take a retrospective case on.
Cheers robroy, I may/will phone em if I don’t get a result by email.
Yeah, Wiretwister and yourhavingalarf, I’ve actually done that in the past, broken down, phoned up, joined, and got recovered. So…yep, it’s do/able
Good luck, Air start, perseverance is the key, I think. I hope.
Harry, I am thinking of doing just that, mate. I mean, how hard can it be 
Grumpy Dad, good point. See, all I want, at this moment, is to know if…IF…DVLA have the power to deny me my entitlement because I didn’t swap from old style to new style in 86. THAT is the crux. If they do? Then ok, I MAY take the test agaion. If they don’t? Then it’s full speed ahead and I want compensation for having to turn down a 600 quid a week job (In the bank).
cav551, Nahhh, not fed up, just can’t see meself doing this forever. And, I like that scenario. Thanks
Zac_A, No mate, said relative will not represent me. She’s made this quite clear from the outset. Too busy.
Yeah, I hear ya about the cost. I got it to about 3k if I went all the way with a barrister, and that was if all went well and no hiccups. ■■■■ that
I’d rather do what Harry said and represent myself.
And thanks
Hey Hey Sammy mah maaaaan! Yes mate, but, as I told you once before, there is a chance that I might fail, I’ve still got to that hazard perception ■■■■■ and theory stuff. I’d prefer to stuff DVLA tbh.
Pfft, class 1 ■■■■■■■! Couldn’t do a day with me
Stussy…I might fail a re-test. If I win against DVLA I…win Taking the test again is the final option. It may happen.
Truckyboy, sounds like exactly the position I’m in! They won’t change the old paper/cardboard licence for the new style! THAT is what I’m fighting. They have no legal grounds to deny anyone their entitlement because of a licence design change back in the 80s, according to ad hoc legal advice.
Juddian, Diane Abbott. Need I say more?
And yes, I’ve been there. If I want to take this as far as I can I have to get to a Judicial Review. That’s where a Judge looks at the decisions made by DVLA and rules whether they areapplying the law correctly, and whether they have administered the law justly.
To get there I have to have to have been in contact with my MP ( I have), and the MP has to have been in contact with DVLA (She has), and DVLA has said to her exactly what they said to me.
MP duly informed me that there was nothing they could do as DVLA has said “This”, which was, basically, a copy of the denial letter that DVLA sent me.
I now have the opportunity to, through my MP, to apply for a review by some ombudsman or other. It’s a while ago I did research, soz, and if that fails, It’s on to a Judicial Review.
corij, I hear ya. I could do that, I can afford it. Ain’t gonna happen. Not yet, anyway
hotel magnum, no mate. Been out of the game for 30 odd years. All the firms I worked for the people are dead now
Hmm, must ask my agency boss if I’m in a union.
Armagedon:
Always have found Juddian fairly switched on and he’s right,your MP, most are useless but he/she might be desperate for your vote fairly soon.
Find out when their next surgery is,get your bits of paper together and go along and give he/she your case.And they WON’T cost you any money.
good Luck.
Diane Abbott.
I sent the int ital contact email to her email address at Westminster. I got a reply back ( 3 days later, from an aide) asking why, if my first initial of my name was a W, my email address started with an S.
This set the tone of my correspondence with Ms Abbott and her team .
Forget Judicial Review unless you have very, very deep pockets.
Have you tried using the DVLA’s own formal complaints procedure, and then the independent reviewer, followed by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
neuon2003:
Forget Judicial Review unless you have very, very deep pockets.Have you tried using the DVLA’s own formal complaints procedure, and then the independent reviewer, followed by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Complaints procedure - Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency - GOV.UK
I shall get all over that tomorrow, having been cancelled yet again. Thanks
Although, I MAY have been there before, 6 months or so ago, I forget, it’s an age thing.
Oh, yes, been there. That was one of the conditions of being able to ask my MP for help, do the DVLA Complaints procedure first. So that’s a dead end, unfortunately.
Well, I say dead end, had I not done that I wouldn’t have been able to ask the MP, and THAT is a condition towards, eventually, a Judicial Review.
Anyways, getting ahead of meself here…
Just got a reply from URTU, very nice email explaining that they wouldn’t be able to represent me on a retrospective basis but, if I join, they will be able to offer advice.
I think I will take them up on the offer.
Just filled in the form, it gets sent to me, on paper, I sign and return it. Job done.
Have a look for Rebecca Lewis-murray. She is a public access barrister and may be of some help.
Thanks Wildy, I’ll look into that one.
lawcentres.org.uk/about-law- … e:Citizens Advice Bradford & Airedale and Bradford Law Centre
Try phoning your local center. I’ve found the Bradford one very helpful in the past.
Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
Good point, David, thanks.
I did try and see somebody from C.A.B. when I first started this fight off nearly a year ago. No-one could help via phone, Heaving mass of humanity in the offices, not hanging about there. Appointments available on a Friday morning. None available, sorry.
So I binned that idea.
C.A.B. helped me BIGtime back in the 90s with a prob I had with the, then, DSS. Always had a lot of respect for em too.
But all is not lost though, I just downloaded the Document from C.A.B. to initiate a Parliamentary Ombudsman complaint against a Govt body (was wondering how to do that, tbh). I’ve already done the “Contact the MP” thang as required, so I’m full speed ahead to sending this form off later today. I wouldn’t have found that doc had it not been for your reminder, so thanks for that
A BIG thanks to Neuon2003 for ALSO giving me that info a bit earlier, too.
It was a post from you, Neuon2003, that gave me a HUGE jump forward last year. The one about Army Records? That’s the only way I could prove to DVLA that I had passed my test. They had to accept it.
This is when they changed their tune from “We have no record of you passing your test and so we will not be issuing you with a Category C entitlement”
to
“Whilst we accept that you passed your HGV 2, now the Category C, in 1976, we cannot issue you withe the full entitlement because you failed to renew your licence in 1986 when they were switched over from cardboard to plastic” (Ok, I paraphrased a bit) .
Cheers mate
Ahh yes, the Barrister lady. Went to their website and sent my info in for assessment. Waiting on a reply. Another avenue opened. Thanks
Still not beaten.