Motability cars - should they be UK made?

I would think it quite likely that someone has at some point been misinformed by the DVLA. Based on my own experience dealing with other beurocratic agencies.

Yes my son transfers to PIP next year he will never have the capacity yo drive, so my dh will remain the named driver and still be able yo drive to either etc as it will always benefit my son to have a roof over his head.

DD got her current Motability car in January 24. It’s got a tracker, so Motability can check its usage at any time. They told us, they want to know, inter alia, that it’s kept at the registered address overnight. I am her appointee.

We explained DD regards our home as her home, so she is an ordinary resident in our local authority; and she spends 30% of her time here. She is funded by our ICB, as she is an ordinary resident here, to live in a care home in another local authority over 100 miles away, for 70% of her time. Motability said that was fine. DH, I and her care staff are all insured to drive her car.

Her main needs are her severe epilepsy, learning disability (she functions somewhere between 18 months and 4 years old) and challenging behaviour.

Perhaps, some these armchair experts, who think they can prescribe what car she needs, could tell us what her main requirements in a car are, apart from it’s ability to get from A - B? We do at least 640 miles a month, motorway driving to bring her home and then there’s driving her around here for haircuts, eye tests, buying clothes, food, etc? She can’t drive or use public transport.

We actually do have my Motability car and a second car. When I asked Motability about DH using my car for work, should I not be needing it on that particular day, they said it was fine but only if he was going to a fixed place of work. DH mostly works in one place, but not always, so we had to buy another car to accommodate this, otherwise we’d be breaking Motability’s rules. He, also, can’t use it every day because it’s my car and I need it for local appointments. Any appointments that are further away he has to drive me to them.

Should he need to take MIL to hospital appointments he takes his car because that doesn’t benefit me. He has used my car to go to the GP on the way to work. That benefits me because if he’s out of action by being ill, we get no money coming in and, also, he can’t do what he normally does for me.

When the kids lived at home, one of them (at a time) was on the insurance so they could take me to the hospital or pick up some shopping should I need them too. I had 3 busy body neighbours report me. It didn’t matter how many times Motability told them to wind their necks in, they still thought they knew best.

I think friend needs to check again although her circumstances may be different as they're both adults.

"And what about able bodied people who are driving the privately owned family car, which is tax exempt because the registered keeper is disabled? Hmm?"

In this situation there are rules about how the car can be used. The car can't be used for other people getting to work etc. This doesn't apply to motability cars because road tax is included within the costs of it.

It isn't different for children. My brother has a motability car because his wife is disabled and as she can no longer drive, he drives it.

There is a separate scheme via the DVLA where you don't have to pay road tax on a private vehicle if the car is used exclusively by a disabled person. That is nothing like having a motability car. We were told by them - because I checked - that the only business things you can't do are run a taxi or parcels delivery, dog walking where you pick up dogs, that sort of thing.

We only got a motability car because we had to scrap our old one for the ULEZ scheme. I never claimed the road tax exemption because we did use the car for ourselves. And I checked the motability rules scruptiously before we took the car.

Yes I think that may be the case but we're going to check with both to see if she's been misinformed

No I'm not just trying to understand why my friend was given different rules.
Bit of checking up needed I think.

Unless I want to pay extra? Are you kidding me? Having a vehicle big enough to transport my wheelchair is not a want it’s a need, I have to pay extra! I have to pay extra to have the steering modified too. You think being able to physically drive the car is just a want too? Yes I could have a car for just the £300 mobility component of PIP. It would sit on the drive unused because I would by physically unable to drive it, and even if I could drive it I’d not be able to do much when I got wherever I was going because I wouldn’t have my wheelchair with me. Me and my frivolous “wants” 🙄

As you've said though, it's going to be different with disabled children because they can't be the drivers.

And what about able bodied people who are driving the privately owned family car, which is tax exempt because the registered keeper is disabled? Hmm?

One could be forgiven for thinking you are are on a wind up mission, tbh.

"Motorbility told my friend she could commute in the car DVLA said not because the road tax exemption is not for her.
I'll get her to check again with both and see if it's changed."

If some one gets gets high rate mobility but doesn't have a motability car then to claim road tax exemption there are strict rules about their car can be used. This doesn't apply if the car is a motability car.

Friend did and was told differently to what many on here are saying.
No one has said they've checked with DVLA.
It's to do with vehicle tax. Disabled drivers are exempt not the mobility vehicle.
Able bodied people going about there own business are not tax exempt even when using a mobility vehicle.

I didn't say you could just that motorbility don't always give the right advice.
Motorbility told my friend she could commute in the car DVLA said not because the road tax exemption is not for her.
I'll get her to check again with both and see if it's changed.
Has anyone on this thread claiming checked with DVLA?(although maybe its different when claiming for a child)

"How many with mobility vehicles check with DVLA"

How about you check with the DVLA.

Have a look on the website at how many are available without paying extra. Especially if you need a WAV.

The vast majority of people have little choice but to pay extra so it isn't free at all.

"But it does say it has to be for the benefit of the disabled person.
How is a named driver visiting her friends in the car benefiting the disabled person.

The carer of the disabled person is entitled to respite from their role As long as the car is not required by the disabled person at that time, it is fine.

You can't just make your own rules up.

There are several threads on MSE regarding this and mobility giving out contradictory advice to DVLA rules.
How many with mobility vehicles check with DVLA

When do you think these things were not allowed ?
Do you not think it's a bit arrogant to tell people who have motability cars and know how they are allowed to use them they are wrong based on one person you know ,who doesn't seem to understand the rules themselves?

It can, in the vast majority of cases, be used as the family car, yes.

It's not really I used to be a mental health nurse and mental health issues are a very broad spectrum and don't just consist of anxiety and depression.

Mobility cars are free to the recipient unless they want to pay extra for a different car. My friend who has one can't afford extra so has a basic model.
If you don't pay for it yourself it is free to you. I am paying tax and have been for years so I am contributing towards that car.
I know it reduces PIP but I am finding that as well