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Disabled Road Tax

Sheilamoose

Anyone able to offer advice on this point?
Am presently on DLA High Mobility, car is registered as ‘disabled’ & qualifies for free road tax. I am in the process of transferring from DLA to PIP and presently completing PIP forms. I have a ‘life-long’ certificate for road tax entitlement from DWP (a printed letter, not a form which is stamped each year), our road tax runs out end of May 2018.
For my PIP assessment DWP have to get 3 EMP reports from the DLA office (“...which could take at least 2 months...”). If DWP are still paying my DLA in May, can I still tax the car ‘free’ as I have a valid exemption certificate?
Am I correct that the points from Q13/14 are added together? What happens when I actually transfer to PIP – is the ‘free’ tax via DLA cancelled? If I do get a total of 12+ points, do I have to re-tax it under PIP, or let it run under the DLA certificate (would it still be ‘valid’ if no longer receiving DLA?) Do I have to re-tax it under PIP (assuming the DVLA computers do not think we are trying to tax the car twice!)
We have asked a Road Traffic Cop down the road & even he doesn’t know what the position is with regard to DLA to PIP transfer and whether tax under DLA would still be valid after transfer to PIP! He has also made enquiries and 'drawn a blank' - no-one seems to know the answer. Someone, surely, must have been in this situation?

There just doesn’t seem to be any useful information on the internet; except that, apparently, if I only get 8 points, I am entitled to ½ price road tax – but gather we have to send all documentation to the DVLA because their computer system cannot work it out either online, or at the post office!

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Comments

Yadnad

Hi logic tells me that providing that you continue to be entitled to 'free car tax' under PIP and that the dates run consecutively with the DLA award then you should do nothing.

It only becomes a problem if the PIP takes away your entitlement but that you get it back after appealing then for that interim period you would have to re-tax the car as NOT a disabled vehicle.

The same applies for a motability car. I had mine repossessed in 2013 then I had another new one when I won my MR. This car was then repossessed in 2015 and I had to get another new one in 2016 and then this vehicle was repossessed earlier this year.

exdvr

Hi @Sheilamoose,....a very good question and one that had me wondering the same when I was due to change to PIP. Thankfully I had no problem and so kept the high rate but it was a stressful time to put it mildly.

I can only chip in with my tuppence worth by suggesting that a lifelong certificate such as you have SHOULD be enough for you to keep your car tax-free. Is it only valid if you're disabled AND on benefits......surely not?

I personally would have a bl00dy good argument with DVLA if they cancelled your certificate. Sorry if this doesn't help you much but I'm sure many others would like to know how you get on. DLTBGYD.

Yadnad

There is no such thing as a life long certificate for free car tax. A car can only have that benefit if the claimant receives the appropriate PIP mobility award.
Under DLA you used to have a certificate that did not need renewing but if you had lost the High Mobility award of DLA than you would have lost the free tax even though you had that certificate.

Sheilamoose

With DLA, the EMP I last saw (2000) said my medical condition would not improve, only get worse & recommended I was not periodically reassessed; DWP then sent me a letter/certificate for road tax exemption, stating it was a ‘lifetime award’. I know PIP is different criteria to qualify for mobility exemption; imo it’s unfair & heartless that so many people have lost their Motability cars. On the ‘good’ side it’s our car –but– just checked road tax rates – yikes, it’s just gone up from £269 (which we have been exempt from) to £290!

Am praying that if I have to go through a F2F it will be a home assessment (last 3 for DLA by EMPs have been, so ‘precedent’ has already been set, hasn’t it?) Yes, I know PIP is different from DLA, but they both fall under the DWP.

My friend is looking at the ‘worst case scenario’... (1) if for ‘Moving Around’ I get (d) 10 points, when for majority of the time she says I fall within (e); and (2) for ‘Planning a journey...’ she hopes I would get either (b/c/d) 4/8/10 points because: If, and only if, someone was with me and it was a ‘good’ day, I would be able to make an unfamiliar journey – provided it was not a long distance and someone worked out, arranged and booked all the connections; e.g. to get to nearest PIP Assessment Centre would mean: (i) a taxi to bus stop/train station (bus stop/train station is way beyond my walking distance); (ii) an 18 mile bus/train journey; (iii) taxi to Assessment Centre (haven’t a clue where it is, but it is not next to the bus/train station). I know in advance that I will be a total mental & physical wreck before any assessment is begun, let alone finished – and I have to do the journey in reverse to get home again (via A&E?).

All previous DLA assessments have lasted in excess of 2 hours (fell asleep during last one, lols! – ended up being 3 hours). I have all the side-effects of the medication I am on [slow-release morphine & other meds]: feeling drowsy, sleepy, dizzy, confused, disorientated, forgetful – which is why I cannot plan/work out travel arrangements; just can’t get my head around things like that; plus (due to a previous bad experience I do not wish to disclose here) I am absolutely paranoid about talking to anyone I do not know on the phone. I will not answer it if I do not recognise the number, or ring anyone I do not know. Had to have my friend with me when I claimed PIP and was ‘shaking with fear’ the whole time, while she was ready to grab the phone if I ‘threw a wobbly’ & either threw the receiver, or collapsed into a quivering mess!

Her theory is that if I can make a journey (accompanied), even for the minority of the time and cannot plan journeys at all, I should qualify for the points; making 12+ which would keep my mobility. Is she correct in this hypothesis?

Sorry for being so long-winded, won’t be able to get back till tomorrow – meds time now.