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We want to hear from you: please tell us about your experience of the online community.

We Need Your Help! What's Your Experience With Motability?🚗

Community_Scope

There’s been some news over the weekend about potential Government changes to the Motability scheme including things like cutting VAT exemptions, changing the types of vehicles available and possibly tightening who is eligible.

As these discussions continue, we’ve been asked to feed in insights from people who actually use or rely on the scheme. So we’d really appreciate hearing your experiences, whether you’re a current Motability customer, have used it in the past or have tried to access it and faced challenges or anything else!

You don’t need to share lots of detail or personal info, just anything you’re happy to say about things like….

How easy or difficult the eligibility process was
What the scheme means to you in day-to-day life
Any problems or frustrations you’ve faced
How important things like VAT exemption or choice of car are to you
Anything you’d like to see improved or protected

Your insights will help us build a stronger case when speaking up about any changes.

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Comments

Wibbles

I assume that the possible loss of VAT relief on a new Motability car would mean that the car would cost 20% more - Also any future repairs and maintenance ?

How, exactly would this extra money fall on to the "customers" shoulders ?

Would they try to recoup the extra money through higher charges ?

I don't believe that this is possible - because PIP is a fixed rate - and if they tried to increase charges - they would simply get hundreds of thousands of cars returned to them….

As for limiting the types of vehicles - I agree that nobody NEEDS a Jaguar / Ferrari or similar BUT What about larger estate cars etc (remember that wheelchairs/scooters take up considerable space)

Some people can only drive / or prefer Automatic cars (so that's an extra £1000 + )

I am currently considering whether to use Motability or not - having paid for all my cars, myself over the last 42 years.

NeuroEve

Without a motability car our daughter would of not have been able to have experieced life how she has for the past 5 years. My husband and I are quite capable of using public transport but due to her disabilities she can't. I agree with the previous post as to certain cars should not be on the scheme. However our daughter is extremley tall so we always have to take her to ensure she can sit comfortably without her head sitting up against the side of the roof, along with extra leg room. She also has an assistance dog so he needs to be taken into account, along with a wheelchair as and when she needs it. Maybe I naively assumed that by having a motability for her use was so she could feel included and not be denied experiences because of the barriers of her disabilities. It's given her a bit of independance even though she is with us and it means getting to our destination on time, not having to get off buses or trains because she is having a major meltdown due to sensory overload or people being too close/touching her, having to get off and wait somwhere becuase our journey has had to temporarily stop or ended. Also we have had times where public transport has not had the access needs for her wheelchair and so have been refused boarding, we don't have this issue with motability car. Yes she still has issues but it makes life a lot easier for her. Do we need a flash car, NO, but does she need something that is suitable to her needs, YES.

Wibbles

I am unable to walk a single step - I am stuck in a wheelchair (pushed by my (ill herself) wife) but would make (more) use of public transport - IF there were buses available to take me to my destination - but the number of buses in my area have been cut back so much that, for example : If I needed to get to the country town hospital (25 miles) for a 11am appointment, I would have to catch the 8am bus and spend over 2 hours travelling through all of the villages to get to the town at 10am - and return would arrive home, absolutely exhausted, at 4 pm - that's the only bus all day !!

Taxis would cost around £75 return !

So I do need a car that will take my (folded) wheelchair and also, in future - my electric chair. This looks like a case for a WAV which would cost me at least £30k which I cannot afford ! Hence I do need a Motability vehicle.

OverlyAnxious

I am now effectively housebound. Part of the reason for that is because I could not access the Motability scheme when I really needed it around 6 years ago.

I believe the eligibility should be open to manual applications, not just those who score enough points on the PIP Mobility section. (I can walk more than 20 metres on a stationary pavement, that does not mean I can use public transport).

I cannot access healthcare or even food since losing the ability to drive. I have lost my independence and am now completely reliant on one relative who I do not live near and who will not be able to manage these tasks forever.

I do (did?) need a very specific type of vehicle. It needs to be very smooth riding, not too rough and not too bouncy. Minimal vibrations felt through the seats. Minimal road noise from outside. Also needs to be high enough to get in and out without crushing my abdomen. I also found certain features very useful such as cruise control. And in addition to that, I need to be able to rely on a vehicle 100% without breakdowns, which is unfortunately the main problem I had with older used vehicles that met the other criteria above.

I am in a 'lucky' position to have some spare income from the daily living side of PIP, which I would have gladly used to pay for the Motability scheme, if that had option been available to me. My conditions mean I could never score enough points for Enhanced Mobility.

Community_Scope

Thank you all, this is all really helpful!

forgoodnesssake

Motability really does need a shakeup in my opinion, however I have very little faith in it being done sensitively or taking into the account the real issues disabled people face. We need a large WAV and have had one for the last 20 years or so through Motability, and that's great. What is not great is the "advance payment"…it is often thousands and thousands of pounds for a (essential) WAV, whereas for a regular car, sometimes quite upmarket ones, it is often zero. And that is not right. So i do think that the pool of unadapted cars available should be pared down a bit and certain models (not necessarily whole brands) removed from the scheme. However the tabloid language being used by the media and others in this whole debate, and its insinuations, really do not help.

Wibbles

The scheme is also too heavily weighed in favour of EV's when the infrastucture is not even ready for those with poor mobility and the inability to plug the vehicles in to the chargers !

I mean - you can obtain a petrol Ford Tourneo automatic @ £3999

or an Electric @ £1000 less for basically the same vehicle

Other manufacturers are even more heavily weighed in favour of EV's

And necessary support is just not there - I was told that if I was interested in a Lexus LBX - I would have to travel over 50 miles to the nearest dealer for a test drive and take the car to THEM for servicing - impossible due to bladder problems.

onlymeagain

We have had a large WAV through Motability for about two years now. There is no way we would have been able to afford it ourselves. Prior to this we had a car but was having to use a folding ramp to put my powerchair in the boot.
I've seen mention of getting rid of the more expensive vehicles. When we applied for a grant to cover the AP, the only vehicle they could offer that was suitable, is the one we have. If this was removed, I don't know what we would do. Unless they bring in cheaper, but suitable vehicles, they need to make sure that there is at least one vehicle to suit every situation.
Being on benefits, we cannot have savings (Not that we have any spare to save) so would have no money to buy our own vehicle that would be suitable.
We have found Motability to be very helpful over the years, and I hope they continue to be able to help people in the future.

Wibbles

Nobody forces these car manufacturers to offer their vehicles on Motability - they MUST still make a profit or wouldn't offer them…

66Mustang

I like @OverlyAnxious 's suggestion

To expand/elaborate, maybe also the option of paying less, and for that you don't get a car (you provide this yourself, enabling people to have any car they want and can afford) but access to a universal level of insurance/tax/breakdown/servicing and the other perks/safety net that come with Motability

Often the insurance (and to a lesser extent, all the other ongoing costs) is what excludes many disabled people from driving

Motability has been an unbelievably useful asset for me; but perhaps the only thing I'm not totally impressed with is the choice of cars. As @OverlyAnxious mentioned people often need very specific cars, and they often aren't generic "disability-friendly" cars, so it's understandable they wouldn't think to offer them, but would be nice for customers to be permitted to provide it themselves, but then still have access to all the other benefits of the Scheme

Wibbles

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1078459#Comment_1078459

The main cost with a new car - is depreciation (especially the first year - you lose around 25% of a cars initial value).

My insurance is extremely cheap - around £150 comprehensive for 2 people !

But then I am 60+ and have an unblemished driving record of 44 years.

somebody_else

Chris 75_ That's illegal. If you're sure that your insurance has increased purely because you've declared a disability, and not because you've got a more expensive vehicle, then challenge it.

My insurance didn't increase when I declared my disability - however my most recent policy is more expensive because I now have a specialist WAV insurance, which includes a WAV courtesy car should mine be off the road in the event of an accident. Plus, because my WAV costs about 10 more than the unadapted equivalent, it's actually insured for that increased cost, not standard book price which was all that the generic insurers were offering.

somebody_else

Add a 'K' after that 10.the sentence will make more sense, then.

OverlyAnxious

Car insurance is based on risk, it's all discriminatory. Everything about us can be given a risk factor which all adds up to the premium we pay.

The sad reality is, people with disabilities are statistically more likely to have accidents than the general public. That is backed up by the national insurance database of past claims, which is what insurers use to determine future risk.

Having said that, I do believe the results are slightly skewed…and that would be because of Motability. People on Motability have no option but to report accidents to their insurer. Whereas private car owners can either ignore cosmetic damage, or pay for repairs themselves, without telling insurance at all.

carmencleo

I had bone on bone hip arthritis for 9 years. Despite several PIP reviews during that time I never qualified for motability and at one point my lower rate mobility PIP was removed completely. I don't understand how I wasn't eligible, even though I was reliant on a mobility scooter, blue badge and assistance dog. So I've always had to pay for my own car to be able to work, full road tax, etc. If the scheme isn't available to someone who is dragging one leg around because their hip socket has crumbled, then exactly how bad does your mobility have to be before a PIP assessor gets you some help? I sent x-rays, OT reports, lots of evidence.

crisismum

my poor disabled husband after a huge struggle, just got his ongoing PIP award. After seeing all the online hatred against this vital motability scheme , he has begged me not to go down the route of ordering a motability car for his needs . He is worried that our family will be put at ongoing risk whist out and about, so we have decided to give u on the idea and continue to use private transport. For context , our last 2motbstransport bill were £500 + for each month. Thanks for all that you do , Scope & our lovely campaigners.

Simon62

I had to apply for a grant for my current vehicle that meets my needs. They are as follows:

I am 6'7" tall so a small car is no good to me.

It has to be an automatic as I have problems with the left hand-side of my body. My licence only let's me drive an automatic as a consequence. (Parkinsons)

I am unable to move my head and neck freely so a reversing camera is essential (Spondaliasis)

I am prone to falling so I use a 4 wheel walker, plus I tire easily (the walker has a seat). It's big so the boot needs to be big. I need a boot closing mechanism as I can't reach up to close the hatch nor have I the strength to do it.

Removing the VAT will simply make vehicles with the necessary bits and bobs impossible for me to afford, disconnecting me from my family and friends. A round trip to my consultant/physio etc by taxi will be over 80 quid. I can't use public transport as I don't fit into the seats etc (at my height, its something I've not been able to do even when younger and fitter)

Removing VAT exemption is a low hanging fruit for the Chancellor. It has the added advantage of pandering to the less than sympathetic individuals within today's society.

Littlefatfriend

Insurance is likely to be more expensive for people who aren't employed as they have more time to spend driving.

I had two Motability cars, I got the first in 1991 and the second in '94.

I was a teenaged student who'd recently crashed a motorbike in '91 so the ease/affordability of insurance was useful. Both times however, at the end of the agreements, the companies from whom I had leased them were able and entitled to charge me lots of money turning them back into virtually new cars so they could sell them.

The second time I purchased the car after the lease expired and that worked out well for me.

The fact we don't build a no claims bonus while leasing, the very considerable cost, the lack of flexibility (<12,000 miles... etc.) and that they at least were allowed to make me pay for a full cosmetic refresh of the car at the end of the agreement is why I haven't done it again and won't in the future.

🏎️

BobMech2

without Motability

I would be housebound, it allows me to get out and about and line a life as normal as possible . I can’t use public transport or the majority of taxis as I’m unable to access them. It’s my life line and saviour for not going crazy .

Motability the car lease section is a private companies owned by the big banks and deal with cars. The govt has no input it owns or leased any if the vehicles

The second part of Motability is the charity section that organises grants and adaptations etc for the cars

They first company negotiates with the companies various vehicles for the scheme and for the various for the disabilities. The drive for electric cars gave increased the costs of deposits drastically ( trying comply with govt policies, not necessary the right choice for this who can’t have electric vehicles due to the lack of infrastructure around them)

Yes in some respects I agree with who can have the vehicles as some people abuse the scheme majorly. This needs to be policed properly as first blue badge abuse needs policing.
yet again Labour is trying to hit the venerable again with state control and taking help from the vulnerable.

If she want to save money, stop paying for hotels, free healthcare and education, free money for those who come to the UK because of these ‘ freebies’ stop hitting the poor, the vulnerable, of UK society and look after those who need this help from Govt not have it stripped away for others to use and abuse

bart70

without my mobility car I would be house bound. I can only walk a very short distance and some days not even as far the car.

I struggle every 3 years to find the money for the deposit just to get a suitable car. It’s money you never see again but it’s that or give up my freedom to at least have a semi normal life.

If the government go ahead with their plans and it raises the up front money for a car, I won’t have a choice. I’ll be housebound and reliant on taxis for medical appointments. I don’t do a great deal of miles, my last car was returned after 3 and a half years with 17,000 on the clock but the loss of a reliable car will be a major setback for me.