DVLA is experiencing a lot of delays at the moment due to coronavirus and the phone lines are only being used to help key workers at the moment so they can be prioritised. We've reached out to the DVLA to get some answers about the delays with renewals, but they've yet to respond. Unfortunately, it'll just be a case of waiting. However, if you've applied to renew, you may be able to continue driving under Section 88 of The Road Traffic Act 1988. It all depends whether the DVLA is actually processing the application so it's a bit of grey area.