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Applying for Provisional Driving licence and passing test but not buying a car?

  • cascade
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6 days 14 hours ago #301935 by cascade
Hi, I am thinking to apply for my Provisional Driving licence and then go through the process to pass the test to get my full driving licence by passing the road test.

I do however not intend to buy or lease a vehicle, and I do not intend to drive.
It is simply something that I want to do as a first step, and then possibly look at driving. Also this way I don't feel rushed to get the licence quickly.

Would this likely affect my PIP since I get both at the enhanced rate, and would it likely affect Mobility Activity 1: Planning and following journeys?

Also, I am wondering, as my conditions are OCD predominantly, as well as sciatica and depression (with suicidal ideation) for the most part, which I do not believe make me a danger to road users if I have a licence to drive (since my conditions either would make me not set out on a journey in the car/at all in the first place or would make me safely pull to the side of the road, or possibly backtrack on where I have driven wasting petrol due to OCD), but could this potentially be an issue with the DVLA?

I read the conditions and driving part and I am not sure if I need to notify the DVLA if I feel that my conditions are not going to affect my ability to drive safely (sorry if that question is a bit outside of the benefits help aim of this forum, but wondering if anyone has knowledge or experience regarding this?).

First thing that came to mind was that not driving after getting the licence would effectively render it a non-issue since 0 days of driving is clearly less than 50% of the days of the required period being assessed, and thus shouldn't theoretically affect how they assess me.
Surely having a licence and passing the test is done as a once time thing, and PIP should not really take that into account if I do not feel that I would be able to actually drive more than half of the time anyway, or would by passing the driving test and being licenced would they assume that if I am licenced to drive anytime I want (which is what a licence is after all), then would the DWP consider the licence itself evidence that I am capable of driving more than 50% of the time regardless of how I would actually feel up to doing this? After all there is no requirement of a licence holder to drive on more than 50% of days if they do not feel up to it for reasons other than being deemed able to safely operate a motor vehicle, which is really all they test for when going for a licence right?

Sorry if my last paragraph is a but confusing, but I am trying to view this in 2 possible ways that it could be interpreted (actually being granted a driving licence) and my view that it should be taken that if one does not feel up to driving on more than 50% of days for reasons which would not seem to medically cause a licence to be revoked by the DVLA, if that makes sense.
An example I am thinking of is that illustrates this point I am making is that being too anxious to drive on most days or only driving at quiet times would likely not be seen as a danger to road users, and this not be a cause for the DVLA to revoke the licence. Hopefully any answers to this can help others regarding the driving thing and simply possessing a driving licence, which is why I am wondering about how the DWP interpret the core sole issue of holding a drivers licence itself regardless of driving or owning a vehicle.

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3 days 10 hours ago #302108 by BIS
Hi cascade

I can't give you any advice on whether you should apply for a driving licence or whether you are safe to drive. That is outside the forum's remit.

There are plenty of people who have a driving licence and receive PIP. There are plenty of people who believe they have been discriminated against because they drive (even occasionally)and have not received the mobility award they expected. If you're not driving, even if you have a licence, it's not an issue. They don't usually ask when a claimant passed a test. Having a licence does not preclude a claimant from being able to be awarded points under planning and following a journey - it is about the difficulties someone might experience in the planning, before they even leave the house and every action after that.

BIS

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  • cascade
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1 day 3 hours ago #302286 by cascade
Thanks for your reply.

Yeah I understand that this forum isn't about medical fitness to drive a motor vehicle safely, but I was sort of putting out that there as a way that maybe the DWP could use the argument of something along the lines of "well if the DVLA says you are licenced to drive, then you should be able to make a journey" or such or in other words saying "if the DVLA don't think you are a danger on the roads then you should be able to make a journey as a fully licenced driver" or something along those lines.

The reality is that passing a driving test is something that can be done on one day, but that doesn't necessarily mean that one can drive a motor vehicle reliably on more than 50% of the days.
In my case I just want the licence to feel more confident about myself, even if I don't drive.
I feel that if I get a driving licence then it would be something that I feel that I have achieved, regardless of if I could practically drive regularly, and thus if I would even find it economically viable to own a car (which cost a lot to own and run and upkeep etc as well as parking costs and insurance etc).

Of course it would then give me the option down the road to drive if I felt that was something that I could do regularly.
I just didn't want the DWP to see this as an excuse to argue that I am all fine and dandy to make journeys just because I managed to pass a driving test.

For me it's really just down to going for something that can make me feel I have achieved something (even if it isn't anything special really getting a driving licence), and also to make me feel I have that option open to me to drive a car right away at any point, should I feel down the road I am able to drive regularly then I can do it immediately and not need to go through the whole process then at that point, since it can take up to a year to get a licence with the waiting times for lessons and booking a practical road test being 6 months at least in my area and most of England.

I am always worried how the DWP could try and twist things to make it so someone scores less points than they should.
I have read some horror stories from other people about these sort of things after all, which makes me anxious.

As a side note, many many years ago before I had health/disability issues, I previously held a motorsport licence (karting), so I imagine that I would still have the muscle memory from that and thus not require as much time/driving lessons to be able to pass a driving test due to skills related to car control likely still being there in my brain, but I do realise the road is not the same as a racetrack obviously.

If anyone else has any comments or experiences to share, please feel free as I would like to hear from others who had issues with having a licence to drive and their PIP assessment.

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5 hours 36 minutes ago #302352 by BIS
Hi Cascade

I know this is easy for me to say - but I think you are overthinking this and you are in danger of tying yourself in knots over what might happen, when it is all hypothetical. You haven't got a licence yet. I hope you get one if that's what you want.

Assessors do not say things like "if the DVLA says you are licensed to drive, then you should be able to make a journey". If you are not driving at the time of a review - there is no need to mention having a licence. If someone asks you about having a licence - you then say you have one, but you're not driving.

The DWP has, on occasion, written to the DVLA after people have put in for a Mandatory Reconsideration for PIP and said that claimants have told them they find it physically challenging to drive a car because of the pain and mobility issues. Therefore, in their opinion, the claimant is not fit to drive, and the DVLA have taken away the claimant's licence.

If you get a licence and you drive occasionally - there will be a reason why you only do it occasionally, as many other people and then at that time, if it is relevant you can give examples.

Will the DWP twist things? Yes, there is always that possibility - but they can do that on the planning a journey question regardless of whether you have a driving licence or not.

BIS

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