i am currently fighting with dvla about my class 1.i had an unprovoked seizure (which means they don’t know what caused it) after a brain scan which showed no scarring,no signs of diabetes and no signs of epilepsy i was referred to a professor in this field who said to me you’re a young man take up painting or something. i was 45 and had been driving for 23 years. i appealed against a 7 year suspension on my licence to no avail am now awaiting to find out when i ca re-apply for my class 1. by the way i obtained a copy of my medical report from the professor who stated to dvla that he had advised me to make a career change.if i ever meet him again…
stargazer148:
i am currently fighting with dvla about my class 1.i had an unprovoked seizure (which means they don’t know what caused it) after a brain scan which showed no scarring,no signs of diabetes and no signs of epilepsy i was referred to a professor in this field who said to me you’re a young man take up painting or something. i was 45 and had been driving for 23 years. i appealed against a 7 year suspension on my licence to no avail am now awaiting to find out when i ca re-apply for my class 1. by the way i obtained a copy of my medical report from the professor who stated to dvla that he had advised me to make a career change.if i ever meet him again…
JEEZ, 7 years 
Thanks again to everyone for the replies gives me lots of info to look into.
I have already looked into legal proceedings and going down the appeal route at a magistrates court, sadly the main factor surprisingly enough would be cost, and we all know how cheap solicitors are. From what i’ve been told it can be successful but often takes longer than it probably will to get the licence back anyway Then of course there is the cost, and not having the ability to earn any money for the last 5 months things are tight to say the least as we have had virtually no help from the system, more of that in a mo.
As many others have already stated on this topic 1 of the biggest annoyances in the whole dvla scenario is communication. Phoning them is a joke as you are ‘not allowed’ to speak to 1 of the big cheeses and texts or emails as a form of correspondence hasn’t yet arrived at the dvla, so you are just left with the option of writing a letter. any letter you write to the dvla, and then a reply you then have to wait for seems to take on average 2-4 weeks, god knows why? There is also the fact that the dvla medical board seem to enjoy playing god with peoples lives, in my own case and many others listed here on this topic we have been given the all clear to return to driving/work by fully qualified experts in their fields and yet in so many cases the dvla overrule the decisions of these fully qualified experts in their field, leaving the individual stuck in limbo.
On monday i will start looking down the route of contacting the FTA, and maybe the RHA aswell as the truck mags just to see if they have an opinion or any advice on this matter?
I did go to the C.A.B yesterday but on the dvla front they did say the legal route would be an option, but they also said this would be costly. I will have a look at WEETOS link in abit to see what the costs might be? The C.A.B may be able to help me fight another 1 of these faceless government agencies though who have proved to be useless and in my opinion a disgrace, they are my local council and its so called benefits office and here is why.
On returning home from the hospital in Belfast i knew i would be off work for a while and so had to let the relevant authorities know and see if there was any help we may be entitled to? Again none of this is straightforward or easy and takes a few weeks to sort, but eventually the D.W.P said i would get £72 a week in E.S.A, (sick pay.)
I then spoke to the council as we live in a council house, (was looking at buying it this year before the accident) and after a couple of weeks the council benefits team informed us we would be entitled to £22 per week in benefits towards the rent and council tax. They came to this figure after working out the total income to the house, from my mrs who works part time and my boy who works full time and pays £50 per week housekeeping.
So for the first 10 weeks we were recieving £94 from the system in total. After 10 weeks we received a phone call from the council rent offices asking us why we were behind with our rent and council tax? My mrs informed them that we were not as although things had been hard we had always paid our rent and council tax on time. They went on to tell us that we were actually £110 behind on our payments and were we aware that the £22 we were receiving per week in benefits had been stopped 5 weeks earlier. 
So i had to phone the benefits people to find out WTF was going on? They said they had reviewed our case and in their opinion our son should be paying £ 29 more a week than he was and for this reason they no longer needed to pay us the £22 per week and so had stopped the benefits 
I made it perfectly clear how dismayed i was at their decision, and how disgusted i was at their inability to have the decency to inform us of what they were doing. They say they wrote to us about this, but they bloody well didn’t, or didn’t post it, as this was the 3rd time supposed letters had gone missing from them. (I know this as from the start of this whole sorry scenario i have kept a folder and a record of every single letter written or received aswell as dates and times of phone calls etc which has proved to have been a good idea.)
So we now owed the council £110 which my mrs paid, unbeknow to me, as she was worried about being behind with the rent, i’d have made them wait. Fast forward to 2 weeks ago and a letter, (that actually arrived this time) drops through our door. Its from the council benefits recovery team and states that we owe them £110 and have 14 days to clear the debt otherwise further action will be taken BTW, from the date of the letter to the actual date it arrived, 12 days had gone missing so this left us with 2 days before further action would be taken
I now phone these idiots yet again to find out WTF is going on■■? They inform me that as they had reviewed the case and stopped our benefits of £22 per week this now also included the first 5 weeks that they had actually paid it. They class this as an overpayment and so we now have to pay them the £110 back within 2 days otherwise further action is taken it just defies belief.
Sorry for the really long post but it gives an idea of the overall bigger picture of how rubbish the last 5 months has been. It shows howcrap the system is in so many ways, whether its the D.W.P, the local council and its ‘benefits team’ or the pathetic system that is the dvla medical board. For 5 months now it seems the state feels i have been worth £72 per week and despite the medical evidence that has been given to the dvla from a qualified neuro expert, they are happy to overrule his decision and currently leave me relying on the pittance that is now £72 a week job seekers allowance. What a farce.
Ive been reading all the things you have wrote chilistrucker and i dont know what to say pal,lost for words really 
This is not right, did you do a medical with the DVLA itself
If not and they tell you your not fit to drive even though your own neuro specialist says everything is ok then they are in the wrong, bring them to some court of eurolaw and you would walk away with a win and on top of that sue them for whatever reason you can, no judge in the country would not back a neuro specialist, there law is just rules and guide lines for them self’s, they are just a state body and they are stopping you from a basis right to drive which could be for a living with nothing wrong with you.
Of course this all dependents on if you have the money to do it, but that’s where everyone gets caught out and that’s how they get away with it.
Lesson 1 =Never Never volunteer and Never Never tell them anything, let your doc do it if he has to don’t even say to your doc what will the DVLA say, let him do all the running, if he has to he will anyway so at least you wont feel so bad about how they treat you after it, this goes about anything nothing to do with chilistrucker.
How is a GP or any other medical person in the DVLA able to sit in a room and they have all your details and letters from all your specialists to say your fit and healthy, and then tell you your not fit to drive without them having sent you to there own doctors first. There breaking the law.
Beats the hell out of me.
hi thanks for replying i have had a wonderful gp and a transport lawyer fighting my case all it cost me was a lunch for my lawyer gp was he was
a dream one who was willing to stand up and work for a case like mine but like me he was ■■■■■■■ against a thunderstorm as was my lawyer who is a transport lawyer but i am hopefully getting my licence back soon after a 7 year break its gonna be a new learning curve for a 52 year old thanks ray
hi again chilltrucker i am in scotland and tried to appeal through the court despite having a reference from my gp it was a professor who knackered things up for me it was a one of seizure which i have never suffered again.keep fighting you will eventually win. as it stands this country is struggling for experienced drivers they need people like us…punished for nothing hope things go well for you cheers ray
seth 70:
Ive been reading all the things you have wrote chilistrucker and i dont know what to say pal,lost for words really
Me too, and that ain’t often. All the best and hopefully it’ll turn out ok in the end, but I wont hold my breath.
I had my licences revoked about the same time as Chilli. Middle of May but I never received the official confirmation from DVLA until the end of September. So although I never drove an HGV, I carried on driving my car. The letter did state that I could reapply for my car licence at end of Oct and my HGV next April. (6 months after the ‘event’).
Unfortunately I have now had the sleepy test after the cardiologist insisted on it and I don’t think I will ever get my HGV back even after treatment. I have spoke to my GP and she said there was no way she could recommend me having my car licence back yet after seeing the results, which I fully understood (they WERE bad). Apparently during the test, I woke up on average 65 times an hour!!! Basically means I never get to sleep!!
But my problem is I live out in the boonies. No bus services near us, the nearest shop is a mile and a half walk and with no car I am completely knackered. I have spent 5 months looking at the 4 walls of the kitchen. During this 5 months, I collapsed and spent a fortnight in hospital and diagnosed with acute emphysema, I now have a heart monitor fitted and that is without my bad knees lol. I have received no help from the Social services and have managed on just £72 ESA a week. Needless to say, my savings are practically gone and the strain on my relationship has screwed it big time. Hence I am moving today.
Bear, have you not applied for DLA? You should be getting it and it would be an extra £600 a month which does not count as income for any income based benefits.
What a ■■■■■■■ farce! Threatening Chillstrucker over £110 the council says he “owes” them and yet we let all and sundry come onto this island surrounded by water from all over Europe and beyond and claim God knows what in benefits and handouts, get out at the top of the lists for houses and send child benefit back “home” to their kids 
If you are born in this country and paid your taxes and national insurance God help you if you hit hard times and need help from the system because you are treated like pond life by the system, just like this thread proves
Conor:
Bear, have you not applied for DLA? You should be getting it and it would be an extra £600 a month which does not count as income for any income based benefits.
Have applied but still waiting … then rang them last week to let them know I am moving and lo and behold, she said they don’t deal with my new area!!! So I have to restart the procedure all over again with another company. Atco deal with DLA in Hampshire but it is Capita in Lincs.
And both ATOS and Crapita will tell you that you are fit for work ,regardless of if your are or not, if anything like the farce called the WCA ( work capabilty assement ) that all those on ESA have to attend , and their meaning of work means any type of work , if you don’t score enough points on there computer software program they stop the pittance they pay you each week, and you then have to claim JSA and jump through lots of pointless hoops or they sanction your money,because they are tossers!!!
tommy t:
And both ATOS and Crapita will tell you that you are fit for work ,regardless of if your are or not, if anything like the farce called the WCA ( work capabilty assement ) that all those on ESA have to attend , and their meaning of work means any type of work , if you don’t score enough points on there computer software program they stop the pittance they pay you each week, and you then have to claim JSA and jump through lots of pointless hoops or they sanction your money,because they are tossers!!!
Sorry to hear things are so rough for you BEAR
The above post from tommy proves how arse about face the system is. The BEAR who may not be 100% fit, (sorry) will be forced to try out various different jobs, whilst they try and pay the BEAR as little as possible.
i;ve been classed fit to drive by a fully qualified neuro specialist, and yet as stated the dvla have overruled this thus leaving me unemployed and currently only entitled to £72 a week job seekers allowance whilst trying to find a job i don’t want and am probably not even qualified for Bonkers!!!
The other day popped to the shops and had to work out if i could afford 2 or 4 pints of milk, that was a low point. Thought i’d be on black coffee by now but my job seekers money went in, phew.
I will sit down tomorrow and start firing some emails off to some of those mentioned, F.T.A, truck mags, look into European courts etc aswell as some more letters to the failures that are the dvla and my local council.
hi folks this is how crazy the licenceing system is although i am suspended from driving hgv i was operating a big telehandler which weighed in at 18 tonne and i had to use it on the road at that weight (only a couple of miles) but i was not allowed to drive an 18 tonne lorry. chillstrucker and bear i wish you guys all the best keep the fight up the dvla medical unit is a bloody nightmare i have been fighting with them for 7 years and got nowhere ray.
The DVLA should be a bit more careful with taking bloke’s craft away if you ask me.
silver surfer agree with what you say i have been in touch with dvla and they are sending out the relevant forms i will still have to go for a medical at my own exspense i wish you guys all the best all i can say is keep the fight up i am supporting you 100 percent cheers ray
It’s scary how quickly things can go from normality to ■■■■. You all have my deepest sympathies.
I’m type 2 diabetic and have recently had to change medication. The diabetes nurse told me if things didn’t improve I’d have to go onto another tablet, which I checked out and found I’d lose my licence for a good few months until I could prove three months of stable blood sugar levels.
It scared the ■■■■ out of me I’ll be honest. Anyway I got things under control and my levels have dropped to a good controllable level. But it made me think seriously about what I’d do if I couldn’t drive. I can’t earn £500+ a week doing anything else. It’s terrible reading how you lads are going through the mill and I feel for you.
Not much help I know
I am T2 diabetic and on insulin but I am hyperglycaemic not hypo, do not have low sugar, no increased risk, have awareness of hypos (all verified by the DVLA appointed consultant at the medical exam) and DVLA have revoked my licence, as they say I did not have 3 months readings, which was not correct. I have sent additional info from my GP and they took from August to the end of October to even look at the paperwork and then only after my MP got involved. Still waiting for another DVLA medical to be arranged. DVLA refused to answer why I am being judged on the same criteria as a different condition, and will not answer any more questions or correspondence.
My licence was suspended at the beginning of the year, before DVLA had completed all the enquiries, which contravenes S88 RTA 1988, and they have revoked my licence on flawed criteria. My partner has also found out a lot of information which is not in the public domain unless you search for it and she’s currently writing an in depth report about the whole situation. So I am now appealing in the Magistrates’ court. Can’t afford a solicitor so we’re having to go it alone. Papers drawn up and lodged and the hearing is set for 5 January in Nuneaton Magistrates. I’m convinced that DVLA have tried to string this out as long as possible so that I run out of time to appeal and then have nowhere else to go.
I’ll go and give a good fight, don’t know if I’ll win but at least they’ll know they’ve been in a ■■■■ good scrap!!
chilistrucker:
tommy t:
And both ATOS and Crapita will tell you that you are fit for work ,regardless of if your are or not, if anything like the farce called the WCA ( work capabilty assement ) that all those on ESA have to attend , and their meaning of work means any type of work , if you don’t score enough points on there computer software program they stop the pittance they pay you each week, and you then have to claim JSA and jump through lots of pointless hoops or they sanction your money,because they are tossers!!!Sorry to hear things are so rough for you BEAR
The above post from tommy proves how arse about face the system is. The BEAR who may not be 100% fit, (sorry) will be forced to try out various different jobs, whilst they try and pay the BEAR as little as possible.
i;ve been classed fit to drive by a fully qualified neuro specialist, and yet as stated the dvla have overruled this thus leaving me unemployed and currently only entitled to £72 a week job seekers allowance whilst trying to find a job i don’t want and am probably not even qualified forThe other day popped to the shops and had to work out if i could afford 2 or 4 pints of milk, that was a low point. Thought i’d be on black coffee by now but my job seekers money went in, phew.
I will sit down tomorrow and start firing some emails off to some of those mentioned, F.T.A, truck mags, look into European courts etc aswell as some more letters to the failures that are the dvla and my local council.
Chilistrucker, have you considered referring the matter to the ICA. They won’t pronounce on procedure but they will look to see if DVLA are guilty of maladministration, delay etc. If you need details let me know, I’ve got one going through at the moment.
Out of interest did what happened since this original post? Someone from work is in a similar situation after an accident. He’s no idea if he’ll get hgv licence back and can’t apply for car licence until 15 months