Never Hobie - until this year - I decided to learn to drive in 1985 _ I'd had a prov when I was 17 to about 24, then didn't bother after that as I couldn't afford lessons, so had to start again from scratch. Passed my test in 1986.
In 1996, I packed up driving voluntarily for 12 months as I had a couple of accidents from hypos (lost hypo awareness on Humulin) and I thought my consultant might say I ought to, and he did. I instigated that meeting, no-one else although the police had attended both scenes and knew I was hypo. He wrote to DVLA at that time to say what we were doing. They never replied to him and I never heard from them. 15 months later I said to consultant had he heard owt? and he said No, have you? - I said No which is just as well really cos a week after the 12 months expired I started driving again but am not doing the distances I was then - since I'd had to change me job anyway (was doing approx 60k a year at that time!)
Since then, never anything at all.
Until this year. Started trying to renew my licence (due mid Jan 2012) last October as per normal and because of all the dleays with everything DVLA did and didn't do, they eventually actually renewed it in July 2012.
I have no idea whatsoever why yours is different, unless you don't just have a car licence. I know you have a full bike licence; anything else? C1 or whatever? I just have car now as I automatically lost my C1 this time.