Motarbility/PIP

Mark1973

hi, I suffer with RA  I’ve just been awarded my enhanced rate of pip for mobility and daily living, and wondered if anyone knows about the Motarbility, I’m looking at getting a car but wanted to know if I can ask for optional extras on a car and pay the difference?

poppy123456

What do you mean optional extras? Do you mean higher spec or adaptions? 

If higher spec then you’ll need to have a look at the cars available on the scheme.

 Lots of them have advance payments which need to be paid before you collect your vehicle. There could be several months wait for a vehicle depending on which you choose and the spec. See link for lots more information. https://www.motability.co.uk/

I see you were awarded at Tribunal. You will need to wait for your award to be put into payment before you can place an order for a vehicle. You will need to take your PIP award letter with you when you visit a dealer of your choice. 

Mark1973

Sorry I should have explained better, I would like to have optional extras on a car (better spec) not adaptations, just wondered if it was possible or if you can only apply for a standard car from the listings as the car will be returned to the dealer after 3 years or if a claim ends.

poppy123456

You can choose the spec of your choice, providing it's available with motability at the time. The higher the spec the more advance payment you need to pay. Everything is explained on the motability website that i posted a link for above. Including the list of all vehicles that are currently available.

OverlyAnxious

You can add optional extras to the car but need to discuss it with each dealer.  You can only have the trim levels that are shown on the Motability site. 

Things may have changed now but some dealers used to offer discounts/incentives for optional extras.  An acquaintance of mine was offered around £500 of optional extras.  This was before the pandemic though, so that may not still be the case now.

2oldcodgers

OverlyAnxious said:  

Things may have changed now but some dealers used to offer discounts/incentives for optional extras.  An acquaintance of mine was offered around £500 of optional extras.  This was before the pandemic though, so that may not still be the case now.

Did they?

I have just ordered a vehicle which had to be the top of the range with a large advance payment so as to have the extras that I needed - all are related to safety. These extras were not allowed to be added to a lower spec vehicle. 

poppy123456

2oldcodgers said:

OverlyAnxious said:  

Things may have changed now but some dealers used to offer discounts/incentives for optional extras.  An acquaintance of mine was offered around £500 of optional extras.  This was before the pandemic though, so that may not still be the case now.

Did they?

I have just ordered a vehicle which had to be the top of the range with a large advance payment so as to have the extras that I needed - all are related to safety. These extras were not allowed to be added to a lower spec vehicle. 

They did indeed. When I ordered my 2nd car in 2019 the colour I wanted wasn’t available free on motability. The salesman was such a lovely person they decided to give me the colour choice free. As well as a full tank of fuel. 

So many things have changed since the pandemic. Not forgetting the cost of a lot of advanced payments more than quadrupling. 

OverlyAnxious

2oldcodgers said:

OverlyAnxious said:  

Things may have changed now but some dealers used to offer discounts/incentives for optional extras.  An acquaintance of mine was offered around £500 of optional extras.  This was before the pandemic though, so that may not still be the case now.

Did they?

I have just ordered a vehicle which had to be the top of the range with a large advance payment so as to have the extras that I needed - all are related to safety. These extras were not allowed to be added to a lower spec vehicle. 

That's a shame.

Were they available as optional extras on lower specs for a private buyer?  Not all manufacturers offer optional extras, it keeps their production costs down to just offer fixed trim levels. 

Also worth noting that not all items fitted to the top model will be available as options to fit to lower models either.

As above though, so much has changed since the pandemic unfortunately.

poppy123456

In 2019 i test drove a Mini Countryman auto. At the time the advance payment was £499. Today the exact same car and spec now has an AP of £2,899... bonkers!

2oldcodgers

poppy123456 said:

In 2019 i test drove a Mini Countryman auto. At the time the advance payment was £499. Today the exact same car and spec now has an AP of £2,899... bonkers!

Or maybe the new norm?
I bought  my current car (privately owned) which cost me £41,000 back in June 2020. The same car today has a price tag of £56,000!
In 2017 I bought a Mercedes C class top of the range sport saloon in black for £30,000. The same car today would set you back in excess of £42,000.
Car prices have gone through the roof and with the restriction of the cost ceiling being applied on Motability cars  (which in my opinion should be reviewed and increased) will inevitably  lead to higher and higher advance payments being required.
What you also have to remember that when buying a car privately the level of deposits required to bring the monthly payments down to what they were just a few years ago. I have seen examples of 50% of the cost price with others of between £7000 to £10,000 the new norm.

If Motability were allowed to increase their cost ceiling that would automatically reduce drastically the advance payment. 

Mark1973

So this is where I stand, Ive never owned a new car and my highest price I paid for a newer car (privately was £3400) now I’m classed disabled and a Motarbility car is available to me, I am only looking for a vehicle that meets my needs nothing more, the advanced payment is currently £3500 without any extras the extras I feel are appropriate cost a further £1100 I never new the old system so don’t know any different but as a father of 4 young children and a wife that doesn’t drive this is my only option to have a reliable family car that suits my needs. I’m not asking for a super car or anything other than a car that can provide us with the ability to normalise our lives but it seems at a cost that is pushing our budget to the upper limit and to be honest if it wasn’t for the fact that I will be receiving a backdated payment for my pip as there were several mistakes made in the original outcome this wouldn’t even be an option at all and I would again be looking privately for a car that might not last and cost money we just don’t have. I reallly do appreciate the system in place for help to those that realistically just wouldnt have any such hope to maintain a healthy balanced life beyond their disability.