Now they want us to have second hand cars
Someone in government has had another not so bright idea. They think it would be a good idea to give mobilaty users a used car instead of hopefully a fault free and safe new car.
Motability claimants should get second-hand cars not new BMWs, ministers told https://share.google/NTjASzY3GZ3cKWQCc
Comments
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Well, that feels like quite an inflammatory headline! But I will say that this hasn't come from the current government. It's from a 'Think Tank' who come up with research and ideas on certain topics to try and influence policy.
It's good to see the comments from Motability and even the DWP defending and explaining the reality of it. But disappointing to see these kinds of stories pop up as people take all the negatives from them. They can be so damaging.
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I don't agree with having used cars on motability, however I do think having brand new top of the range BMW's and other cars with high price tags shouldn't be an option on motability. I don't know but to me this is abuse of the system, I personally think motability should be a brand new vehicle within the needs of the person. Having someone claim benefits for a flash expensive car is sickening to me, especially when the country is struggling financially.
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Well I'll play a little bit of devil's advocate here and say that in part I totally agree with them…however NOT with the awful inflamatory, click bait language.
And the reasons are that;
a) we did get a second hand WAV (wheelchair accessible vehicle) on Motability but it was only a few months old and as new. And actually new cars are notorious for snags so a one or two year old one, in great condition of course, for a 3 year lease seems just fine to me.
b) Not everyone will be aware but the advance payment (not a deposit) on even basic WAVs can be up to £10k and grants are not always an option. Whereas the majority of non WAVs, even quite upmarket ones, seem to have no advance payment…and there is something fundamentally wrong with a system that allows this.
I could say more but I don't want to get into any sort of disability heirachy debate: it's not about that, but it is a fact that if you don't use a wheelchair then it is likely that you can get into a lot of (not all) regular cars and taxis; if you are a wheelchair user you are extremely limited but the Motability scheme seems to be very weighted against wheelchair users.
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Reliant Robins, and like it!😉
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Brand new cars are not fault free any more! They're all made as cheaply as possible, corners cut everywhere, quality has considerably declined in recent years. Most of them end up needing warranty repairs within the first 3 years.
They also take forever to arrive from the factories, which is not convenient for many disabled people, particularly if they have no transport while waiting.
Personally I don't see any problem with Motability allowing used cars up to 3 years old. They are available immediately. They are not any less reliable than brand new on average. And as long as Motability still cover any repairs for the duration of the lease, it would not cost the customer any extra.
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Seeing that a lot of people are against motability cars now it might be a good idea to change them to second hand ones.
That way they'll be harder for people to spot and talk about.
I've heard people moaning about them before.
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No - a 60's vehicle like this - a Reliant Robin would be too posh
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Personally, I'd be ok with having the option of a second hand car, as long as it met my specific needs. But I can't drive anyway. 😆
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We can't live our lives by what people moan about, let them.
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How about one of these very cheap "cars" from Aliexpress ?
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So long as the 2nd hand cars are properly before getting passed along to a new owner, I see no issues with this plan.
It's not worth buying new cars anyway, yet alone putting them on Motability. New cars depreciate in value so quickly it's a colossal waste of money. That said, this huge depreciation also needs reflecting in benefits payments, so disabled people dont have to give up all of their mobility element.
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Motability demands huge discounts from car companies - and has huge running costs (1095 staff - costing £63.9 million in salary alone
)Motability CEO was paid an incredible £965,000 and the Directors £3.4 million.
Yet Motability STILL made an operating profit of £526 million in 2021 !!
They manage to avoid close scrutiny / FOI by not being included in Whatdotheyknow.com
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I wonder where that profit goes? As far as I'm aware, Motability is a not-for-profit charity.
I guess that money just gets kept in the bank and goes towards keeping AP's lower, keeping up with inflation on staff and running costs, and making sure the scheme doesn't simply collapse as costs increase year on year.
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I cannot see an issue with lower value cars being used as long as they are safe. I think some people are resentful that someone on benefits can drive around in a high value car when working people cannot afford to. Someone somewhere is making a lot of money from the scheme. I don't think we should be going back to 'invacars' any time soon.
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It really depends on the costs - if, for example "motability" manage to get a 25% discount on new car prices - then new cars would appear to be a better buy…..because don't forget values after 3 years would be lower too !
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Do you have any evidence of people exaggerating illnesses in order to "get BMW's and Mustangs" ?
If not - which I will assume is the case - I suggest that you stop and think - because PIP Mobility is extremely hard to obtain and the numbers of people committing fraud in order to obtain this vital benefit is somewhere between zero and extremely small.
Whilst it may appear unfair to you that people can obtain a "free car" via benefits - it certainly is not "free" - We have to pay our full PIP Mobility payment. And the car is provided to help us get around (something that would be impossible for many people, who would be stuck in their houses all year). Especially those of us country dwellers with NO buses to get us to hospital appointments / shopping etc etc
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