We Need Your Help! What's Your Experience With Motability?đźš—
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Also as a current PIP claimant, who, like you, worked for many years - and, in fact, was in full-time work when I was first awarded the mobility component of PIP, I have to say that there being abuse of the Motability scheme is not a reason to penalise every single, legitimate user of the scheme. In fact, I would say that the fact that some people are abusing the scheme should be a reason to tighten up the criteria, apply the criteria more carefully, perhaps reduce the number of high-end cars available. But not use it as an excuse to further demonise people with disabilities and consider ways of making the scheme too expensive for some to use, and making it harder for such people to retain even a modicum of independence.
I'm also a non-user of the scheme - although I have bought a couple of brand-new cars, and kept them for years more than the 3 years currently available on the scheme. In fact, that would be a way of reducing the cost of the scheme - a lot of people don't need a new car every 3 years; especially given the fact that cars these days are far more reliable and much less likely to rust out in a few years. One every 4 or 5 years would be fine. (My first Honda Jazz is still going strong, 18 years after I first bought it, although I wouldn't expect anyone to keep a motability car on the road that long.)
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I have to say, I wonder this too. Given how hard it is to get an enhanced award for PIP, I wonder at the number of people who are alleged to be able to work the system that effectively.
I also have to say that I don't think I know a single person who receives PIP who doesn't meet the criteria. I know a few people who think that someone they know is working the system, because they don't spend the money on what it's awarded for, but there's no obligation to do that. Having said that, I didn't use my DLA lower rate of care to pay someone to cook for me. That's because I can get a lot more cleaning for my money than I can get cooking - and if someone else does my cleaning, I can do my own cooking from time to time. As the money awarded is frequently not sufficient to provide the service it's awarded for, I can't see a problem with us being creative with how we do spend the money - especially if it's on something that helps us in another way.
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I don't know what I was doing wrong, but I typed 3 replies to @Trevor_PIP and each of them vanished without a trace.
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I have noted your three posts are roughly the same. I never posted for a argument, that is my take on the issue. I only live in a small town and don't know that many people but what I have said if fact. The taxi driver I have known from a small child. He had the motability car years and openly told me it was his wife's car. I think there definitely needs to be a tightening up of the criteria for sure. Even my neighbour (lovely people) with a motability car, it was never driven or used for/by the person to which it was assigned. He had a driving licence too. I wasn't bothered but that was the case and they had at least three cars (9 years).
As you mention, the luxury cars, I don't know anyone with one apart from a young man (early 20's) that has an Audi S3 (over 300bhp) and I know that upsets hard working people..!!!
I agree, the scheme should not be demonized but I know working people do want to see changes, I worked for nearly 40 years, I know what they think. I was hammered for tax and NI when I worked with a good job, why should that happen, seeing your earnings disappear..... I can see why working people have had enough and they want to see changes, but not to the detriment of the genuine disabled.
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I totally agree with you, it is hard to fleece PIP, but it must go on and the cars not being used for the purpose they were assigned is common. Over the last 5 years influencers have encouraged people to apply for a "free car" and how to do it, with phone assessments you just need to say the right things. I think that is why they are talking face to face assessments again! Or a reason for it!
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I agree, the scheme needs tighter control and genuine people are not demonized. I have never said or expect the scheme to be shutdown. I just added my honest thoughts on the issue of motability cars. It's an opinion, but an honest opinion on what I have seen over the years.
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There's more to the application than just answering questions - there's also required medical evidence - how do these people get round this ?
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I obviously don't know, not everyone has medical evidence and don't have a diagnosis. Unless they produce forgeries, how often does the DWP call or write to these Doctors and Consultants? I don't know really, but the numbers on PIP have nearly doubled in not much more than 5 years.
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My apologies, Trevor - I didn't mean to bombard you with repeat posts. It's just that all 3 of them vanished into the ether and I thought they just hadn't posted. And having an impaired memory means I couldn't remember exactly what I'd written, which is why they're all a bit different.
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Not a problem, don't worry about it! There are issues with this forum I know that.
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About the numbers on PIP doubling, isn’t a lot of that down to the transfer of people already on DLA to PIP?
PIP is not easy to get, and not a free-for-all. It has however been very negatively - and often inaccurately - reported by the right wing media and politicians.
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This is derailing this thread but you don't have to apply for PIP if on DLA and the applications for PIP have vastly increased to 1/4 million per quarter year....!!!!!!
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- In January 2020, there were 2.4 million PIP claimants (caseload). GOV.UK
- As of 31 July 2025, there were 3.8 million people with entitlement to PIP in England & Wales. GOV.UK
But of those extra 1.4 million claimants, about 1.3 m are “DLA reassessment” claims (i.e., people who previously got DLA).
So that's only an additional 100,000 PIP claimants - NOT a doubling…..
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Thanks for that, but I have not seen that information on the 1.3m DLA Assessment. This has never been mentioned in all the data I have read. The lockdown and after saw a great increase in PIP awards. The fact remains the applications for PIP have vastly increased in the last few years, like I said 1/4 million applications per quarter year of late. There are 25,000 new PIP awards per week, which is not sustainable!! This is derailing this thread, we may need to continue elsewhere!
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Actually, a lot of us did have to. I had to, in 2019. Which happened to be the same year I was able to change from driving a manual car to driving an automatic, which immediately improved my mobility, because I wasn't experiencing agonising pain in my left foot after 20 minutes behind the wheel.
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Also bear in mind that it was a Labour government that insisted that mental health conditions should have 'parity of esteem', when it came to accessing medical treatment and disability benefits.
It would appear to be a very strong case of "be careful what you wish for - you might get it".
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My daughter's Motability car means she has a life, as she is unable to use buses or a community bus due to her disabilities. She would become housebound without the car. She has little enough life anyway, but the prospect of no car is unbearable. Her carers drive the car, I am grateful for the open insurance that Motability provides, so they can all drive it, subject to insurance "rules". Removing VAT exemption would be a bad decision, unless they are willing to increase the disability benefits to an equal amount.
Eligibility process - we all know how hard this is and a constant worry about what they are going to do next to us genuine folk. I wonder how "they" would feel if they became disabled and had this fight!
Scheme works very well for my daughter, it is wonderful the difference it makes to her. Please stand up for us
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I don't think that you should have any worry about losing Motability for your daughter - it is the big BMW's and similar that everyone agrees should be curtailed (just because you can afford a big downpayment - doesn't give you permission to obtain a high grade vehicle !
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Not all disabled people need adaptions to vehicles either , I only need room for my walker , but desperately need a car that is not low as i cannot get in or out because of nerve damage that i have from surgery for cancer , so when MP's are sying that most do not have adaptions , they don't understand that disabilities are not all the same . I also have profound hearing loss and my coordination is off , i also have agoraphobia and the motability car helps me get out , my husband is the driver , I don't drive without the car I'd never get out at all .
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I, now, need an automatic gearbox - despite having held a manual licence for 45 years.
Whilst an automatic gearbox, typically does not count as a vehicle adaptation specifically for disabled use. However, it could be a component of a broader set of adaptations designed to assist a driver with disabilities.
For instance, many people with disabilities may require major and costly modifications beyond just an automatic transmission. These adaptations might include:
- Hand controls: Instead of using foot pedals, some people use hand controls to operate the brakes and accelerator.
- Steering aids: Such as knobs or specialised steering systems that make it easier for someone with limited arm mobility to steer the vehicle.
- Left-foot accelerator: For people who can't use their right foot, the accelerator can be relocated to the left side.
- Specialised seats or seat bases: To accommodate those with mobility challenges, allowing easier transfer into and out of the car.
- Vehicle lifts or ramps: To assist individuals who use wheelchairs in getting in and out of the vehicle.
Without these modifications - people are going to be unable to leave their homes - which is unfair and wrong.
An automatic gearbox, however, might make it easier for people with limited use of their legs or feet to drive, since it removes the need to operate a clutch, which can require more physical coordination and strength. But this alone doesn’t qualify as a "disabled vehicle adaptation."
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