Driving law changes launching in April will see massive car tax hikes, new DVSA licence rules and more

TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Car tax Chancellor Rachel Reeves will oversee the introduction of new Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) rules on April 1, impacting millions of drivers across the UK.As confirmed during the Autumn Budget last October, Labour has confirmed that car tax rates will increase with the Retail Price Index of inflation.This will include the VED rate for cars, vans, motorcycles, heavy goods vehicles, as well as the HGV levy.The Chancellor also outlined plans to make significant changes to the luxury Expensive Car Supplement during her Budget speech.While the threshold for petrol and diesel cars will remain at £40,000, drivers will only face the £440 charge if their zero emission car costs more than £50,000.The largest price increase will be for motorists who buy a new petrol or diesel vehicle, especially if they are particularly polluting.Petrol and diesel cars that emit more than 255g of CO2 per kilometre will attract a new rate of £5,690 for the first year of registration, a huge £200 increase compared to 2025-2026.LATEST DEVELOPMENTSMillions of drivers warned of delays to £7.5bn car finance compensation scheme - 'This is not the end'Car finance compensation scheme could see 12 million drivers receive £829 - Are you eligible?Car finance compensation scheme confirmed with millions of drivers set to be owed £829DVSAThe Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has confirmed new driving test changes for learner drivers, launching on Tuesday, March 31.Learner motorists will now only be able to make a maximum of two changes to their driving test, compared to the previous rate of six changes, to ensure all test spaces are being used effectively.Valid amendments include changing the date or time, changing the test centre or swapping an appointment with another learner driver who has already booked a practical driving test.Electric carsFrom Wednesday, April 1, drivers, businesses and schools will be able to make use of new funding for electric car chargers with new incentives from Labour.Homeowners will see the maximum grant towards the cost of installing a chargepoint at a property rise from £350 to £500 per socket, with grants also being increased for households with on-street parking, the Workplace Charging Scheme, as well as grants for landlords and schools.Planning rules will also be eased for households with on-street parking to allow drivers to install charging gulleys, or cross-pavement charging solutions, to further accelerate the switch to electric cars.Car financeThe Financial Conduct Authority has confirmed the redress scheme from the car finance scandal, with millions of drivers eligible for compensation, which could total £7.5billion.While Nikhil Rathi, CEO of the FCA, said payments, which are expected to be £829 per agreement, could be made tomorrow, it is unlikely that this will happen.Lenders will likely want to digest the ruling and potentially mount a legal challenge against the proposed rules to protect their financial interests.READ MORE: Car finance compensation scheme could see 12 million drivers receive £829 - Are you eligible? Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter