Misuse of Motability vehicles.

[fifitot]

Just sounding as just this week 2 of my friends got brand new cars under this scheme. If you don't know, someone getting a high rate of disability allowance can get this paid direct to a car dealer and get a brand new car which includes free insurance and servicing costs. No problem with that at all. Even if the person cannot drive themselves they can have a named driver but the issue is that the car must be primarily for the use of the disabled person, even if it is as a passenger, or for doing errands for them etc. It s a good scheme that assists disabled people.

It is not for relatives to scam the system and get a brand new car which is parked miles away in another town, never to be used by the disabled person themselves or in connection with that person. 2 people I know have recently got cars by conspiring with their parents/brother. These cars are parked outside their own homes, they never use them in connection with their relatives and are quite open about how they have 'played the system'. It really bloody annoys me.

And don't even get me started on the misuse of the blue badges!

When we renewed our car fil offered to use his motability allowance to get a new car. We declined as it would never have been our car. We take fil shopping/to hospital/days out etc several times a week but equally we would have been using it as a family car, i would need it to drive to work. We live in another town and it would be parked outside our house. Tbh if we had taken him up on his offer, i probably would be a bit had someone reported us.

It's pathetic when people play the jealousy card. Can't people express anger at those who do abuse the system? It does happen. Ok, not as frequently as the daily mail would like to this but there are people who take the piss. It makes people question those who genuinely do not abuse the system.

Thing is, a carer may drive to care for you, which means that if they don't live with you, the car will be at their house in between times. That doesn't mean that the car is not for the disabled person, because it is enabling them to receive care, and I would be fine for my carer to get their own shopping while getting mine, or doing their own errands whilst doing mine, or even taking my children places without me, so how can you judge that a car isn't being used validly if the disabled person isn't in it or it isn't parked outside their house. Quite often part of the reason I need care myself is because I am not well enough to even get out of bed.

of course there is abuse of the system but where ever DLA is associated with it you always get the "well dla has the lowest fraud rate ever etc etc"

it seems on mn that there can never be an honest debate about this particular subject without the jealousy card or mind your own buisness being trotted out,it comes across as nobody on dla defrauds

im refering to dla for those that dont realise its linked to the mobility part to be elegible for the car

It's just no fun being a genuine case being viewed with suspicion every time you do anything. To get the DLA you have to go through a really in depth screening process, it would be nice to come out the other side and be able to relax without having people getting angry. Of course be angry at fraud, but bear in mind it might not be, so unless you know for definite (eg. the person confessed it to you) then sometimes it's just worth it to give them the benefit of the doubt.

The thing is, in the OP the people described weren't fraudently claiming but their family members may be abusing the right to use the car. Frankly, I don't see why this would make the OP or anyone jealous.

rabbit i do agree with your point of being a genuine case,i think you have had to probably grow a thick skin with others regarding their views

i cant imagine anybody begrudging a genuine claimant this scheme but as life their is fraud and what the op describes going on does happen

we all have to put up with people assuming certain things (i myself a single parent of three on benefit) but thats always gonna happen

Agreed. I receive hr mobility, I have a blue badge. I used to have a motability car but now I don't, I have the mobility element in cash instead.

My claim, my condition, my need, are genuine.

If my car, when I had it, lived at my sister's house, 20 miles away and they fetched their daughter from school in it, did their tesco shop in it, went to the library in it, went to town in it, went to the drive thru at mcdonalds in it...

That would be fraudulent use of it and against the stated T&C that are signed and agreed to! Regardless my genuine entitlement. That is the point.

Well I have no idea why anyone would be jealous of a disabled person getting some financial support so they can manage either. Being disabled by a life limiting condition or illness is nothing to be jealous of.

Of course. I was explaining how it could be that the situation in the OP might happen without it being misuse, but misuse does happen too. But so then does misjudgement of a situation, so I guess sharing both sides can help people to see that line between what they consider misuse and proper use.

i dont think anybody could be jealous of a disabled person,its the blatant mis use of the car by others not related to the disabled persons needs thats gets peoples hackles up

YABU not to report them. I don't know why you would want friends who do things like that.

Why the hell should some scammer get a free car off the government. Do they realise that there is not an endless supply of money/cars , they are, in effect, taking a car off another disabled driver who genuinely needs it. They are sicko's if you ask me.

judgey pants on and hoiked

Busy yes because your dh is working for the benefit of the family and the disabled person so he can use it for work. If something was to happen to disabled person then he would be expected to drive home from work to see to that person.

HEcate there is a difference in using the car for family things and sub leasing or lending the car to friends and extended family.
We have a huge 7 seater and have been asked countless times by a friend if they could borrow it for a holiday or to tow a caravan. They just didn't get it that the car was for ds's uses only and I couldn't justify to Motability why ds and family were all at home and a friend had the car. I purposefully wouldn't put them on the insurance, even though it would of been helpful when I was having the two younger dc's, as I knew they would be even more pressure to borrow the car.

Having a motability isn't like having your own car, it is like an extended hire car. You can't make adjustments without asking motability, you have a mileage allowance, you have to use their insurance and repair centres. No 'guvvy' jobs when you get a dint or a minor prang. When you give it back they go over it with a fine toothed comb for any damage. All things I will happily put up with as it gives our family a lifeline.

Debs - another question, sorry but u seem to know the ins and outs, we return from our hols next and We were going to get a train from the airport to home but my mum has offered to come pick us up with our car. She isn't a named driver on our mobility insurance but her insurance company said she was insured 3rd party on ours, is that right ?

The new rules mean that the insurance can only be for a driver within a short radius of the DLA recipient's home.

No busy even with fully comp insurance where you can drive any car you can't drive a motability car unless you are insured through them.
You could ring motability and see if they would insure her for this one instance. You need her driver details and preferably her to confirm she wants to be put on the insurance. They may say yes as it is a one-off and it would be a great benefit to the disabled person

My husband has severe fibro and is getting a motability car next week. I am the only named driver on the Insurance. Can I drop our kids off using the car or is that not allowed. Also will I have to start walking to the gym for my yoga classes as I need these to destress and being a carer to someone with fibro who has anger issues is extremely stressful and upsetting most days.

Their website states the car must be used for the benefit of the disabled person. They do not need to be in the car. I would ring them for advice but I don't think you could use it to drop your children off or go to yoga.

Shywolf no that's fine you can use the car for those things as well.

I'm disabled and have a motability car,I don't drive my husband does.But he of course uses the car to get our children to school and to take us on holiday and days out and to do the shopping.

The things your talking about involve your family which is also your DH's immediate family that live with him.

The OP was talking about someone using a motability car that lived nowhere near the disabled person and never used the car for the disabled person.

I hope you get some help with the stress,I know it's not easy.

And from a fellow disabled person who has to now rely heavily on her husband and can be a miserable mare because of the pain can I just say your doing an amazing job looking after your husband,children and the home.

And I'm sure even if he doesn't say it very often because of the pain that your husband appreciates what your doing and knows your one in a million

HouseofEliot yes you can,they honestly don't expect you to use one car for the disabled person that the car is given to and another car for everything else.That would be undoable for anyone living of disability benefit.

My uncle used to have my grandads mobility car. My grandad never seen him for dust. So I learnt to drive and took the car from my uncle and would take my grandad anywhere he wanted (usually the pub!) He was housebound before this so I like to think I gave him enjoyment of his last 2 years. I would also take my nan shopping or whereever, luckily I was a sahm so was available all the time.

I did however take the car to visit mil 150 miles away once. I didnt realise at the time I wasnt meant to. Im not one to break the rules so was gutted when I found out on here :(

Afer he died, I bought my own car and still drive my nan all over lol. I also used to give them £20 a week for the car plus pay all petrol.

ZOMBIE THREAD!!

Resurrected not just once but twice!

why do people re open long ago threads,
I am on this one under another name as it is 2 years old.

It was best left in the past too IMO