The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has called for three new DVLA driving licence rules to help DWP benefits claimants and other jobseekers overcome a 21-week driving test backlog. The think tank warns that one in six job vacancies requires a driving licence, rising to one in three care roles and more than two-thirds of plumbing jobs.
Transport barriers and falling licence rates
Nearly one in five unemployed people, many of whom receive Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits, say transport problems have caused them to turn down a job or not apply. The proportion of 17-to-20-year-olds holding a full car driving licence in England has fallen from 48 per cent in 1994 to just 29 per cent in 2024.
More than one in six vacancies (17.4 per cent) require applicants to be able to drive, according to the CSJ. The backlog is particularly affecting so-called NEETs (not in education, employment or training), who are being locked out of employment opportunities.
Proposed changes to driving test system
To combat the problem, the CSJ's recommendations include letting accredited employers conduct Category B car driving tests for their own staff by expanding the existing delegated examiner scheme beyond HGV licences, following the example of emergency services and the military. The think tank also proposes creating regional driving-test hubs where large employers can sell spare testing capacity to further education colleges, apprentices and smaller local businesses.
Additionally, the CSJ suggests allowing colleges and employers to use vocational and apprenticeship funding to cover test costs and help more young people gain the licences they need for work.
Political support for expanding test capacity
Ruth Cadbury MP, Chair of the Transport Select Committee and Labour Member of Parliament for Brentford and Isleworth, said: "As school leavers start thinking about their next step, we must remove the barriers that hold them back from work and education. In many parts of the economy, from care to the skilled trades, a driving licence can be essential to getting the job, particularly given the lack of decent bus service provision in many parts of the country."
She added: "That makes tackling the driving-test backlog an integral part of restoring hope for Britain's NEETs. The Government should examine the sensible proposals put forward by the Centre for Social Justice to expand testing capacity, including whether properly accredited employers and colleges can play a greater role. Bringing waiting times down would remove a key barrier facing young people trying to make the transition into work."
Peter Swallow MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Schools and Labour MP for Bracknell, said: "The driving-test backlog has become a serious barrier to work for many of our young people, particularly in sectors where being able to drive is essential. The Government is looking for practical solutions to help tackle the NEETs crisis. It should give serious consideration to the CSJ's proposals for involving employers and colleges in expanding test capacity and bringing the backlog down. This would open up a wider range of job opportunities to school leavers and enable them to reap the rewards of the new technical education options the Government is introducing."
Daniel Lilley, Head of Youth at the Centre for Social Justice, said: "There are many reasons for the enduring NEETs crisis, many of which feel intractable. But we should not overlook the roadblocks we can remove to help young people find work – the availability of driving tests being one of them. The driving test system has been completely overwhelmed since the pandemic, and will continue to shut young people out of job opportunities unless we find new solutions. By harnessing the capacity of employers and further education colleges we can get Britain's NEETs on the road and into work."
The CSJ's proposals come as the Government faces pressure to address the NEETs crisis and reduce waiting times for driving tests across England.
