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AIBU?

To shop neighbour who has been given disability car as a "gift"

178 replies

Jollyranchermuncher · 22/10/2011 13:20

neighbours dad has a brand new sporty disability car that he has gifted to his daughter for her own full use.

It is hers, the dad stays in the next town and never it, I know she has full use of it.

Usually I would mind my own business over most things but it just makes me seethe that she has been given this and so many people who need things have to go without.

It also has a built in bluebadge so she can conveniently park in disabled spaces.

Am not quite sure how payment for disability cars work I take it her dad has to use his dla for the car? But it still seems like a huge take the piss off the system?

OP posts:

Report

ZeldaUpNorth · 22/10/2011 13:23

My grandad used to do this for my uncle, who never took grandad anywhere. I dont actually know if its illegal (as long as she's not using his blue badge-which my uncle was) Then i passed my test, took the car from my uncle and drove my grandad somewhere almost every single day til he died. I like to think i gave him a good last few years of his life

edwardcullensotherwerewolf · 22/10/2011 13:25

I'm sure there are pretty tight condition around gettign a car from Motability (i.e. paid for using a person's DLA) and one of them is that the car's main use is to be for taking the disabled person out and about. If he has got it using his DLA (not sure how you would know this without asking though ) then I'm sure they are breaking the conditions of the contract by her havign it for her own personal use. Also, don't blue badges have photo ID on them now? SO she can't park using a blue badge in his name unless he's with her.

AmberLeaf · 22/10/2011 13:25

Built in blue badge? you have to apply to your local council for blue badges.

How do you know all of this anyway?

onagar · 22/10/2011 13:25

It comes out of his money as I understand it.

I don't know what the law is, but there are any number of possibilities that you wouldn't know about which might make this quite reasonable.

Perhaps (just for example) he has an arrangement that when he needs to go somewhere she jumps in the car and collects him. That wouldn't work so well if she had to get a bus to his place first.

Or perhaps this is only for now until he gets his new glasses and can drive himself.

That's the trouble with these things. You can't know.

edwardcullensotherwerewolf · 22/10/2011 13:26

That's lovely, Zelda I bet he really appreciated you for that! That's exactly how a Motability car for someone who doesn't drive is supposed to be used.

borderslass · 22/10/2011 13:26

What do you mean by built in blue badge, there's no such thing.

ShellyBoobs · 22/10/2011 13:27

This won't end well...

I'm not sure what the rules are regarding use of a motability vehicle by others although someone at work uses her disabled husband's motability car for her daily commute to the office. TBH I would have thought it's allowed as she's not the type to break the rules (?)

ZeldaUpNorth · 22/10/2011 13:28

Thanks Edward, though it was a bit embarrassing "carrying" him from the pub on the occasion he had "one too many"

onagar · 22/10/2011 13:30

I hadn't realised you could get one for someone else to drive, but it makes good sense doesn't it.

If you care for a disabled person who doesn't drive, they can still apply to buy or lease a car through the Motability Scheme.

direct.gov.uk

You can even apply for a car on behalf of a child.

coccyx · 22/10/2011 13:32

surely on the assumption the less able bodied person is actually driven somewhere in the car???

onagar · 22/10/2011 13:33

Yes, but we don't know that isn't the case here.

Jedburgh59 · 22/10/2011 13:34

Shop them

Fiendishlie · 22/10/2011 13:34

OP this is plain wrong. The motability car can only be used for the benefit of the disabled person:
Q. Does the recipient of the mobility allowance always have to travel in the car?
A. The car is provided for the benefit of the disabled person. But, they do not always need to be in the car, for example having someone else using the car to do the shopping or run errands is still of great benefit. (direct.gov.uk)

I would report without hesitation. When you say 'built-in blue badge' I assume you mean the disabled person has given their blue badge to the daughter as well as the car?

rhondajean · 22/10/2011 13:35

I am not sure about the motability but if they have the free road tax that goes along with it - the car has to be for the SOLE USE of the disabled person. Someone else can drive it to take them places, get them things etc but its not supposed to be used for anything at all that is not related to them.

If the road tax conditions are that steep, Id hazard its not far off to actually get a car.

SansaLannister · 22/10/2011 13:36

YABU. Yes, you can apply for a car on behalf of someone else. My ILs did this for his sister, who couldn't drive and whose arthritis crippled her. All completely above board, they are very honest people. As working poor, if someone had shopped them and the DLA been stopped during investigation, it would have severely affected the care he was providing her sister (she's since died).

borderslass · 22/10/2011 13:36

motability scheme changes announced

Fiendishlie · 22/10/2011 13:38

You are wrong, Sansa, sorry. The car can only be used for the benefit of the disabled person.

saintlyjimjams · 22/10/2011 13:40

As Rhonda says it's the road tax that has to the use requirement attached to it. Because we have free road tax for ds1 the car shoukdn't be used for his benefit. He doesn't have to be in it - so I can use it to do the family shop for example, but DH wouldn't drive it to work.

You get an automatic blue badge if you receive higher rate mobility.

saintlyjimjams · 22/10/2011 13:40

Should - dammed iPad

oldraver · 22/10/2011 13:40

She can use the car for HIS personal benefit ie taking him somewhere or going to the shops for HIS benefit but not as her personal runaround, though I do know of people who use it like this.

If this is actually what she is doing then it is against the Motobility rules. Both my DB and myself are named drivers on my Dads Motobility but would only use it for HIM, we have our own cars anyway.

SansaLannister · 22/10/2011 13:42

No, Friend, as saintly just stated, I'm not wrong.

troisgarcons · 22/10/2011 13:42

www.motability.co.uk/main.cfm?Type=HWUS

It doesnt say anything about 'exclusive' use - and I'm pretty sure a family with a child with disabilites doesnt turn round to a sibling and say 'sorry, you've got to get the bus, the car can only be used for X'

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borderslass · 22/10/2011 13:42

Yes you are automatically entitled to blue badge on HRM,you still need to apply for it though. I suspect that his daughter is fetching and carrying for him, you can't just jump to conclusions.

TheFidgetySheep · 22/10/2011 13:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ZeldaUpNorth · 22/10/2011 13:47

Have to admit i did use the car for my own use too. For example i'd drop grandad off somewhere, then say go into town then pick him up on the way back. I didn't actually realise this wasn't allowed. Also used to do my shopping though my nan would come with me too so technically that was for him.

Even now that i have bought my own car i still take my nan anywhere she wants to go as although she is "old" she doesn't qualify for a motability car.

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