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Motability car pro's and cons. enhanced PIP
camber993
Member Posts: 17 Connected
I get enhanced rate mobility component of PIP, and so I'm considering the car lease option.
Is it a good thing? Keen to hear of others experiences.
Do you have to choose from their list of new cars only, or can you perhaps choose a nearly new/used car for example, to maybe have less impact on the deduction from PIP?
Is the option to buy at the end favourable?
Is it a good thing? Keen to hear of others experiences.
Do you have to choose from their list of new cars only, or can you perhaps choose a nearly new/used car for example, to maybe have less impact on the deduction from PIP?
Is the option to buy at the end favourable?
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Alternatively, you can use your mobility allowance to cover the cost of a used car instead of the motability scheme. You won't lose that car if the PIP decision changes in future but obviously you have to tax, insure and maintain the vehicle yourself and there is a higher chance of breakdowns as the vehicle gets older. Depending on your circumstances/savings you may also not be able to afford a car that meets your needs.
I don't qualify for Motability sadly, as I would really benefit from the scheme myself. However my Nan qualified and had a mobility car for around 5 years. She had no problems at all with the scheme in that time.
They're really easy to lease and they explain everything to you at the car show rooms.
The bad thing about it now though of course is that they're easy to lose if we lose our enhanced payments of DLA or PIP.
I did hear of someone who bought a small campervan a few years a go, they applied through motability and had the tax taken off the purchase price.
It was a story I read in an old disabled magazine.
I have a mobility car, all I pay for is Petrol, when it needs any work done or a service they will come and pick the car up from my home, it gives me complete peace of mind.
The way I see it is that I never had the enhanced rate before so I wouldn’t miss the money, I needed a car that would take my wheelchair and scooter, so yes we had to pay an up front cost but we dealt with that buy selling my other motor. It does give me Peace of mind. my condition is not likely to get better in fact my mobility will decrease more so, I am not really worried about losing PIP
I've had mobility car's for 13 years ( waiting for PIP outcome, so could lose it soon) and its so much easier knowing tax, insurance, service is all sorted for you..
that's great you doing that if you can, yes you are correct it depends on how much you use it my car is used everyday, and its the difference between going out and not going out, it is of course a matter of choice. and yes some people could have the car taken back. so you need to think carefully about it, for me it was a no braina,
needed something to get the electric wheelchair in.
Most do look after it - some don't . but the one thing I said to them last week at a meeting was that they should allow people like me on Standard to have a car and pay the extra - my own car costs me double a month what a Motab car would - and with no chance of losing my enchanted allowance there would be no need to get the car early - which would save them a headache.
On the whole the system is abused, which is really off. Being given a 19 plate car to then just abuse it is not on - and I never once in my 5 years doing it saw Motability charge anyone for the damage on the car when they sent it back
Hi @camber993......I'm now onto my 4th Motability car having had a Vauxhall Zafira, Kia Cee'd, Skoda Yeti, and now a Citroen Multispace. All good reliable automatic estates with my latest one having a hoist fitted for my scooter and still returns 50+ mpg on diesel. The cost over the 3 year lease period is however considerable......say £10000 in PIP benefits, the Advance Payment, plus the cost of fuel at 24000 miles (my figures) over the period.. I reckon that the weekly cost is over £80, which is a lot to pay for peace of mind. I still have 2 years before the lease comes up for renewal but I'll be 73 by then and don't really know what to do when that time comes.
All I can really suggest is that you think long and hard about whether Motability is right for you and that you make an ultimately good choice.
Best wishes.
DLTBGYD
We are now swapping the car scheme after 7 years, lockdown pending, for the mobility scooter scheme and some change from the claim. I have bought a second hand car which I can do what I like with and I save £105 per month towards its upkeep and insurance, I'm over 40 so insurance is low even at 0 NCB which I have lost 12 years NCB and they don't warn you you'll loose it either.
My point is this, before you decide you want a car, check your local transport links, if needed do you have willing drivers close by, how many journeys do you envisage doing in it, if you're considering short journeys would a scooter suit you better, they have good range and are maintained the same as the cars but you wouldn't need to bother someone else to drive it for you and you won't get stuck in traffic jams, won't be looking for disabled bays at the supermarket and you can get enjoyment from being able to go where you want when you want without polluting the environment.
If you are one of the lucky few to qualify for the enhanced mobility payment you will know that you have far more bad days than good, good days are a premium not to be wasted and if this is the only deciding factor to get a car go ahead, your happiness and mental well-being is what matters most.
1 - 62% of claimants get at least one component at enhanced rate. There is no “lucky few” here. It’s the majority award according to the quarterly statistics. See page 12. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/873332/pip-statistics-to-january-2020.pdf#page5
I am as stated on the second line the main care giver to my wife so my opinion is from a slightly different perspective, but still relevant, I hope as my life has also been dramatically changed by her condition. My thoughts and the figures that I shared about the pro's and con's of having a motability vehicle are based on my own experiences, where by I personally think that I could have provided a more positive environment for my wife if I had been able to keep a second hand car and release the weekly benefit to provide more excursions as it doesn't need to cost £62.25/week to keep a car on the road.
Also, I am a little confused about your mention of claim length, I didn't specify anything on the length of the claim itself as that's private and confidential.
And lastly, could I draw your attention to the last part ' if this is the only deciding factor to get a car go ahead, your happiness and mental well-being is what matters most.' I'm not trying to dissuade anyone from joining the scheme, it was purely MY pro's & con's based on my experience.
I hope this clarifies things.
However, ask for and justify a 10 year award; get a 10 year award and there’s no hard decision to be made re: Motability you can buy or lease knowing that if you do the latter there will be little threat to PIP at the end of the initial or even second lease period.