To want to scream that Motability cars are NOT FREE!!!!!

[Mamaz0n]

Ihave just seen a programme on the BBC where they have yet again claimed someone recieved a "free car"

No they fucking didnt!

They have been given a lease hire vehicle under the motability scheme. It is not their car, they DO PAY for it and it is only for a certain period of time.

It pisses me off that people assume that being disabled is a sweet life with loads of freebies.
It isn't. far from it.

you would expect the BBC at least to get it right.

sidge same here. Now we can all go out together. Of course, by now, DS1 doent want to be seen anywhere with us but at least we have the option

One of my families at work has just got their adapted car. Mum can at last wheel her child into the middle of the car (she didnt want her child in the boot). Her child can see out of the windows for the first time and loves it!

Mum's back may also get a bit of respite.

Sounding harsh here, which isn't intentional, but it's hard not to.

While I approve of Motability, as seen in previous post, I don't get this whole "need it for the family" crap. No. The car is for the benefit of the disabled person, not Jim-Bob, Betty-Sue, granny and the cat. If a smaller car can do the job for the person it is leased for, then it should do, and the family suck it up and cope like everyone else does. They're not meant to be family cars in that respect, they're a tool to make one person's life better. Not the entire family's.

My daughter got ran over by a mobility scooter just over a year ago. He was fleeing along on the path to get over the road before the green light changed and ploughed into my daughter. He proceeded to reverse the scooter then drive over her again. I dont know how she wasnt seriously injured. She was taken to hospital and had severe bruising on most of her body and a huge lump on her head. The police were called but nothing could be done. The policeman driving said it was a disgrace. I see the same man weekly parking his scooter outside the bookies walking in and sitting there for hours. He then drives to the pub abd parks his scooter outsdie, gets pissed and drives home.

People should have to pass tests to drive the horrid things and becharged with drunk driving as they would in a car.

littlemiss that may be you opinion but harshly - its bollocks.
Disabled people have a right to a family life the same as you do. Its enshrined in law.

Disabled people are not inanimate objects to be cared for. They have spouses, lovers, children and other dependants.

Should they get in their car and drive to a family party whilst the family follows on the bus?
Or, like you, should they all be able to pile in together?

Of course the car is for the benefit of the disabled person. My OH benefits hugely from it. He drives it to work. I drive it to stock up the cupboards so he has something to eat. He benefits hugely from being able to take his kids to the park or attend an event with his family.

PMSFL at your 'suck it up'. Do you even know how stupid that sounds in this context.

Honestly if you are so jealous of a disabled person's family being able to get in the car with them - do me a favour - go and throw yourself off something, wake up without the use of your legs (for example), spend the next few years trying to negotiate the system, finally get your 'free' car and then tell your family to fuck off and get the bus.

fifi thats awful but I think you have posted on the wrong thread.

Mrsdevere, havent got my reading specs on sorry people, got no gripes with mobility cars, my nanas got one.

But LittleMissFlustered, surely looking after the family is part of the disabled parent's role? Taking your kids to school, doing the family shop, etc. etc. Being disabled doesn't magically mean that there is someone else on hand to do all the parental things. So, a one-person car isn't really going to help the disabled parent.

littlemiss

Everything MrsDeVere said. How is it fair to expect someone with a disability to 'suck it up' about not being able to go places with the family. Far better to have a motability car which suits the disabled person's needs and fits in the rest of the family than to run two cars. And that's assuming the disabled person in question can drive - some of us have disabilities which prevent us from driving.

I think people forget that disabled people are human beings too

There's a Motability car in my family. Mum has one. I get the bus a lot, with my kids. It's her car, not ours.

At the end of the day, I expressed an opinion, nothing more. You mightn't like it, but it doesn't make it invalid.

haha! pmsl.

so, I am supposed ot take one child to school in one car (presumably I am allowed to be in the car too - or maybe said child is just supposed ot walk the 15 miles to school?! after all, it is their car, gained from their disability. oh, hang, on. small matter of being 8 years old )

and then go back home again, park up, and bung the other children in a different car and take them to their school.

righto.

just so I know.

Yes, LittleMissFlustered, I think you're missing the point. Motability cars aren't intended to suit the extended family - so no-one expects the car to be able to fit in every grandparent, in-law and uncle visiting from Nova Scotia. So if your mum lives alone and can drive herself, then a one-person car may well be suitable. But it certainly needs to fit the disabled person's household - their partner and children etc. As alittlemouse says, how could she possibly do the school run if she wasn't able to fit all her children in the Motability car?

So you dont use your MUM's car? Well fucking done.
Why would you use your mum's car, mobility or not? You are a grown up.

Come back and have a chat about not using your partner's car or your child's.

You only posted because you want to show us all how strong and brave you are to get on a bus with your kids.

Yawn.

bollocks to it not being a family car, so you expect people to run 2 cars. what happens if like last night I visiting a relative in hospital(dd at respite) and I get a call that she is ill, I would have to go home change vehicles and go and get her, plain daft.
I have thought of getting a cheap run around, but I can't get past the point that I am the only driver so would be in a silly car when I need to be in a WAV

No HRH you should just wait till your DD is old enough to have a turquoise three wheel invalid car. As fitting her disabled status.

Its all very well to give out cars and benefits willy nilly but what you find is these people are just not greatful enough and begin to get airs.

They will be wanting to vote next

I will tell her to crawl home the 16 miles to please that poster , she is just not grateful enough, dam teens

Wish I could spell grateful

LittleMissFlustered unfortunately my 7 year old disabled daughter can't drive.

Nor can she live alone, get herself to school, take herself grocery shopping, enjoy a day out alone or attend her many hospital appointments without an adult.

Given that the police and social services wouldn't take kindly to me leaving her 2 sisters (12 and 4) at home alone whilst I use her Motability vehicle to do all these things with her, then we need to use that vehicle as a family car, ie all my family can fit in it.

Not remotely comparable to your mum's situation really is it?

thefirstMrsDeVere. Apart from when thy want benefits

maypole who are thy and what are you on about?

Do try and be coherent dear.

Probably understandably lots of people on this thread are very sensitive to how things are worded. Having read the thread, I fail to see anyone saying that a disabled person who needs a car shouldn't have one.

Personally I think it's irrelevant as to whether that person / anyone in their family has ever paid taxes - we should appropriately look after anyone in our society who needs it. To me, that includes allowing disabled people the right to a family life and being able to take out children / partners. You wouldn't expect to buy a family car that wouldn't service the family ie. Days out, taking children to school, so why would you expect a disabled person to have any less?

Until reading this thread, I would have assumed that a motability car if required would be 'free' - I don't mean it in a derogatory way (ie that you 'earn' it by being disabled) just that if it's required, it should be provided. It should be as appropriate to the situation and family and it doesn't seem right to punish people who need a bigger car by not having an increased allowance.

I think most people just want to feel that their taxes are used appropriately, unfortunately they don't make for such 'news' as those who are abusing the system. We also seem to be breeding an 'entitlement' culture in this country through the benefits system. I don't think that anyone (reasonable!) would question the provision of assistance for disabilities but it does seem to get wrapped up in the whole question of how much tax we pay and the level of support that individuals 'deserve'.

For example I wouldn't expect an individual on income support to be given a car because they can go out and earn money for one. A motability car to me is just putting a disabled person on an even keel to either be in employment or to allow a reasonable standard of living in the event they can't.

agree with what MrsDeVere has posted.

I think the problem/ignorance lies in the fact that many (like littlemissflustered) have an odd view of a 'disabled person' If they could try to imagine 'these disabled people' as 'people with a disability' they may begin to understand. I am a person who happens to have a disability. I am just a person. A person who desires no more from life than the next person. I like to spend time with my family and friends, listen to music, read, maybe do a bit of shopping, watch a good film, and work. I actually love my job. See, I'm just like everyone else and wish only do to what everyone else does.
My motability car helped put me on a more even playing field (not quite but as close as I could get). Of course I wish to join in life just like everyone else. Is it too much to ask that I can share the same car as the rest of my family just like I used to? Should I really be made to be excluded from everything and just be grateful that I can get from a to b?

Maypole's post about these cars being free because the only non-free cars are those that are paid for by people with a JOB (I note she capitalised the word Job) was quite alarming. Hopefully she now understands after many posts explaining how people with a disability still work and pay taxes. This is another example of an ignorant view of people with a disability. I dread to think how some people view us. Maybe we just sit in a corner staring at daytime TV waiting for someone else to feed us and maybe take us on a little outing?? Or maybe we get up each day and get on with the running of our lives; working, socialising, helping the family with their schooling/activities etc etc. Heck, some of may actually run big businesses, be a member of parliament or take part in the olympics.
I work, I always have done. Since I got the motability car I have been able to work more and therefore earn more. As I earn more I pay more taxes. In fact, I pay more tax in one day than I receive in a week from mobility. So, maybe the extra tax I pay goes towards something you use? - health, education, policing, parks...... No, no, there's no need to thank me, I don't begrudge you these things that you benefit from.

bub nice post on the whole . But cant agree with the first bit. There may not be anyone baldy saying 'disabled people should get a car' but there are plenty who are making little digs and caveats. You can have on but its got to be a small car, no one else should use it, shouldnt be too nice and of course only if your not fat.

I also agree with have a culture of entitlement. The most bizarre thing is that those with the greatest feelings of entitlement seem to be the ones who are doing quite well.
They just want what someone else has got.
They dont need a council house (and would die if they had to live in one), they dont need a mobility car (why would you if you could choose your own and it was yours - not leased?), £50 quid a month in WTC would only pay for a couple of starters on a meal out.

BUT they want it all anyway.

There are people who feel entitled from all walks of society but we always seem to focus on the poor/uneducated/unemployed ones.

I find this new type of entitlement far more disturbing.

Myu mother is disabled, she had a brain tumour when she was 50 and because of the surgery she is left unable to walk more than a few meters. She is also afriad to go out of the house on here own. Will not go out for meals as people baby talk to her etc. She is ashaimed. I would give anything to have my mother back.

But and this is the big but she is entitled to a free car as she receives the higher disability benefit. Ok she could get a basic car and I dont agree with the person who said they need a volvo XC40. iTS A BIG FUCKOFF 4X4.

Also the person who said they had a large saloon car 3 kids and two adults but could not have three child seats in the back so one adult could not go out with them. Why did you not put one child seat in the front, two in the back and an adult in the middle. this is what everyone else does in this situation.

Also I agree that they should get a free car but if you need or want something bigger then you should have to pay some towards it also.

Sigh - we do pay more towards it MrSpoc. We do.

Children are not allowed in the front seat till they are 12 no?

I dont really understand the rest of your post. Does you mum have a car? Is it a volvo or a fucking big 4x4?

Is it the size or the style you disaprove of? If it was a small but expensive car would that be better than a big, cheaper but more practical one?

MrSpoc - re-read why the poster said they would need an XC90.

yes, it is big (plenty of people need big cars, depending on what you ned to fit in to the car).

yes it is a 4x4 - so what?

try thinking outside you tiny little claustrophobic box, and imagine why people woudl need the things that an XC90 offers - easier loading space, larger boot, better access into higher seats (can you imagine trying to lift a 4 year old in and out of a car? what aout an 8 year old? and a 12 year old? don't you think ease of access might be an important point?)

quit with the jealousy.