DVLA Car tax direct debit cancelled by...?

[OdinsDaughter]

Hi. I'm new to the forum. I have a problem and I'm hoping someone can help me. 

 

I received a letter this morning (letter dated 14th April), from the DVLA to inform me my direct debit has been cancelled due to a missed payment on 1st April. 

 

I checked my online banking and found there were more than sufficient funds in my account to cover the direct debit. So I called the DVLA and they told me that they had received instruction that my bank had cancelled it. But I'd checked my online banking app and it still showed as active. 

 

I called my bank. They told me they hadn't cancelled it as it was still showing as active. I hadn't cancelled it. I wouldn't do that as I have a disabled child needing regular hospital appointments. I need my car on the road. 

 

As luck would have it, a week ago my car failed it's MOT for the first time. It's almost had all the repairs done (trying to find anti roll bar bushes to fit is proving problematic), which means that, thanks to the mystery person somewhere between my bank and the DVLA cancelling my direct debit without either mine or my banks' knowledge, I now cannot tax it again until it's re-test next week so it's sat outside my house with no tax on it. 

 

I have nowhere to park it off road. 

 

Has anyone else had this problem? Evidently the problem lies within the DVLA, someone having entered either the wrong information on my account or information belonging to another person with my name. I'm stumped. 

[dx100uk]

If you have a disabled child on pip or DLA, are you not entitled to free road tax?

 

As for the DD issue, just set a new one up. These things happen with DVLA sadly.

 

Dx

[unclebulgaria67]

How to apply for free disabled tax (INS216) - GOV.UK

WWW.GOV.UK

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A guide on taxing your vehicle in the disabled tax class.

 

The Bank will be able to tell you, if DVLA had attempted to debit an amount.  Sometimes what happens is that at the time of the debit, if there are many pending payments, there may not have been enough funds to cover all of these payments.  The Bank therefore rejected the DVLA payment and by error entered that there was no Direct Debit Authority held.

 

 

[OdinsDaughter]

I don't know if I'm entitled to free road tax if my child gets DLA - which he does - and I get carers allowance too. I will definitely look into that. 

 

There were more than sufficient funds in my account to cover the DD that was due on 1st April. The DVLA told me my bank had cancelled the direct debit, which isn't possible. They would need my account details to access my account, which they could only do with my authorisation. It's against FCA regulations to interfere with a customer's account without their knowledge, or without notifying them first. But as it was, the bank didn't cancel anything  - the DD is still active so I don't know who or where the DVLA got the information from. The bank said that there is no record of them contacting the DVLA. 

[unclebulgaria67]

Probably a DVLA error, but if a Bank does decline to pay a DD, they do send an electronic  notification to the company trying to collect the payment. So it could be a Banking system error which the Bank staff could not see on your account, but might be revealed if they looked into it further.

 

Anyway probably easier to get the payment set up again.

[OdinsDaughter]

Thank you Unclebulgaria67. I have asked the DVLA to investigate why this happened. With the information you have kindly given, I'm going to contact my bank today and ask them to investigate further also. I'm definitely going to set up a new DD. I just need assurances from both parties involved that it will never happen again.