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.

thefirstMrsDeVere - who told you children are not allowed in the front until they are 12?

Then why does the highway code tell you not to put a rear facing child seat in the front if it has airbags. But you can if it is forward facing. Unless the law has changed recently then you are aloud children in tyhe front with appropriate child/booster seat.

Also I agree it is a free casr because you are given the money as a benefit to spend how best for your mobility needs. HYou can use it for the car. If you then choose a VOLVO XC40 and have to pay £6k extra then I have not simpathy as this is surly a luxary.

I do agree though that someone in receit of higher DLA should get a car on top of thier DLA so they can resume some normality / family life.

MrSpoc, because if there's a crash and the airbags go off, the chemicals used within them for the related pyrotechnics will damage the child's sight or even potentially blind him/her. That is why children need to be a minimum height in order to be able to sit in the front seat, and we use age as a proxy for that. It's not about comfort.

One thing everyone is missing here - public transport in the UK is patchy at best and relatively inaccessible for many, which is why we need cars for disabled people in the first place. Improve the design and reach of public transport and we could all chuck away our car keys. Infinitely better for everyone.

I did read it because her back hurts. Still do niot see why. Its a massive £30k plus luxary car.

BoffinMum - I agree that is why all children under a certain hight have to use a booster or car seat they car still aloud to go in the front passenger seat of a car. this is not illegal. It is illegal if you put a rear facing child seat in the front with the air bag turned on.

So you are basing your opinion jealousy on the fact someone would prefer their child to be in a safer postion in the car?

If she got a 30K plus luxury car she would have needed to put down a huge deposit. Thousands of pounds.

Inconvienent truthes do so get in the way of a lovely urban myth.

The year I spent leaning forward putting DS's dismantled child-size wheelchair in the boot of our Punto has afected my back for ever. A OUnto was a fine sized car for our one-child family - but next time DS uses a wheelchair for a year it won't fit in the boot, and I cannot spoend another year leaning forward lifting it in and out. The van style cars enable you to put a folded but not dismantled wheelchair in the back much more easily, with it standing upright, instead of layng it flat. So, when I had to buy a new car I spent several thousand more than I would have done to get something bigger - with all the extra tax, insurance and running costs, too.

We don't get DLA because DS's mobility is sporadic - but the knock-on expense of managing a child with reduced mobility is considerable, whatever help you do or don't get.

Sorry didnt understand your post thefirstMrsDeVere

No Urban miths here. I agree that you should get a free car but i do not agree that you should get a top of the range luxery car. From her reason why she wanted it she could of easily got the small purpose bult vans that have a ramp on the back plus seats for all the family. This option would be a lot cheaper and have all her needs catered for. Yes it does not look as nice as a Volvo 4X4 but I still fail to see why she needs it.

Nothing to do with jelousy. I am very greatful form my health. Would not change it for the world.

Just read the post you are on about.

You think its unimportant for a carer to take care of their back? Are you nuts?

FFS when you have a child with disabilities you have years and years of lifting and carrying ahead of you.
Many children are unable to hold themselves so the whole weight is borne by the carrier.
Many have seziures and spasms.
Some have unpredictible behaviour and can be agressive when distressed/in pain.

Most of the parents of children with disabilites I know have damaged backs. Not just a bit of back ache - damage.

Nurses have strict rules about how they can lift. These rules do not apply to parents.

So if a mother is in hospital having a spinal fusion because her spine has crumbled for the want of a slightly bigger car and some equipment - thats ok is it?

You do not get top of the range luxury cars without putting down a huge amount of money first. mrspoc.

You can choose to ignore that if you like but it doesnt make it unreal.

Sorry about that.

From your comment about easily got purpose built vans with room for all the family I now see that you dont know what you are on about.

Sorry for wasting your my time.

I'm confused mrspoc - you agree with the 'free' part of the car but you criticise the persons choice of suitable vehicle that they have paid extra for out of their own hard earned money? Why would you citicise this? Do you not think they are in a better position to judge their own needs than you are? Would you criticise or judge anything else people choose? Perhaps you think my fridge is too big? I could always keep my extra milk on the doorstep? Or maybe my cooker is the wrong model, a smaller one would do just as well if I cook it all separately....?

sixlostmonkeys

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

Yes yes yes!!! Exactly!

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??

I have found this, people seem to think I can't have an ASD because;

• sometimes I do make eye contact with people,
• I don't sit in a corner, rocking back and forth and banging my head against a wall

I was also told I didn't have dyspraxia because I can read - wtf!?

People have a stereotyped view of disability and can't cope when people don't fit the mould. Especially with invisible disabilities like autism etc. I can't remember if I read it on here or on another forum but a lady who is a wheelchair user was faced with stairs and no lift. As she can walk short distances her friend helped her carry the wheelchair down some stairs. She had abuse shouted at her as she did so, people accused her of 'faking'.

I don't think those bloody awful little britain sketches help where the lad keeps getting out of his wheelchair when his carer isn't around.

Mrspoc - you said From her reason why she wanted it she could of easily got the small purpose bult vans that have a ramp on the back plus seats for all the family. This option would be a lot cheaper and have all her needs catered for. Yes it does not look as nice as a Volvo 4X4 but I still fail to see why she needs it.

The deposit for a purpose built van with a ramp would come to a lot more than the 6K deposit for a XC90! Quite possibly double or more, and you still only get that for a limited time - I think it's 5 years rather than 3 though for an adapted vehicle.

Please dont let the truth get in the way of a good story.

Spoilsports.

Can I just ask here. If you save say 6k for a deposit, then you have to pay monthly lease, then give the car back after 3 years, what exactly is the point in a mobility car? Where is the benefit? Why not just go to a dealer and pay monthly with your deposit and either lease or buy one yourselves? Wouldn't that work out the same?

we got our WAV as an ordinary car hurt our backs, shock horror, we are now getting a WAV with a lift, as the ramp on our existing one hurts our backs.

backs hurting = backs giving out and carers not being able to care, I suggest the poster who mentioned bacsk tries lifting a 16 year old with cp and then perhaps they won't post such crap.
why shouldn't someone choose a vehicle because it doesn't hurt their back....

what is a WAV

MrSpoc I wrote our OLD saloon car not large saloon car.

My husband couldn't sit between the children in the back because he is a nearly 6 foot tall, 14 stone field gunner rugby playing bloke and DD2s special needs car seat is massive (she couldn't use a normal one as it doesn't support her properly) so he couldn't fit. I could only just fit and I'm a shortarse, and along with the fact that we couldn't fit her special buggy in the boot (it's huge) along with DD3s pushchair and all the other crap we needed for a day out it was easier not to go (or only go with friends with another car who could take a passenger and a pushchair).

Also remember that whether you choose a Volvo XC90 or a 1.0 litre SmartCar you still sign over the entire component of your mobility component of your DLA, it's only the advance payment that varies and the recipient has to pay that. Adaptations will be extra.

For eg Smart car fortwo, 1.0 litre 2door Pulse - AP nil, full allowance.

Volvo XC90 2.4 litre 5 door - AP £5,499, full allowance.

Oh and you give the car back after 3 years, so no resale benefit to you the recipient.

wheelchair accesible vehicle
Oh and in answer to the question about paying a 6 thousand pond deposit.
I assume that is for a adapted one, in which case I think you get them for 5 years, so that is only just over £1000 a year, and everything is covered, I assume it works out cheaper than paying your own issuance/RAC cover/ services and stuff.

i do not understand what is with the 'you have to hand over the entire component of your mobility component' part of this thread.

Surely that is what it is for mobility, what else would it be given for?

So are you saying that for a volvo XC90 you pay £5499 and nothing else if you hand over the entire allowance? and have all expenses paid. For 5 years, and then give the car back. 5 years in a 30 grand car for a grand a year seems very reasonable offer to me.

I think it means you aren't left anything for other mobility issues, for instance all od dd's goes on our WAV, which is fine as I love it, BUT it means if she needs other aids the money isn't there...I am assuming that is waht it means.
(disclaimer as soon as dd was 5 and she got the mobility element of DLA we used it for a vehicle so we have never had the money, so never missed it iynwim)

RabbitFood it's to clarify that whether you choose a small or large car you pay over your entire allowance. That leaves none of the allowance left for other mobility items that might be needed such as wheelchairs, frames, scooters, bikes, buggies or sticks.

The Motability scheme is good in that it takes the hassle out of motoring, as for your allowance you get to lease a new vehicle, have it serviced, insured, breakdown covered and tyre damage covered.

But it's not a cheap option really, in that you spend 0-thousands on an advance payment, then spend about 200 pounds a month on the lease for 3 years (5 years is the extended lease if you have adapted the vehicle).

So potentially 5500, plus about 7200 to drive a car for 3 years that you then give back. No sale/trade in proceeds as you would get if you had bought it! But probably cheaper than buying a car outright when you factor in servicing, insurance etc.

I know of someone who needs a new wheelchair. She cannot use her mobility DLA for a wheelchair AND a car.

Her problem runs thus;

• if she gets a new wheelchair she'll be able to go out and about, BUT as the transport in her area is so poor she won't be able to go far. The last bus on a Saturday evening recently left her stranded as it wasn't wheelchair accessible. This was around 7pm. The next bus? On Monday morning... luckily the bus driver managed to get an accessible bus and was able to take her home on that. Her wheelchair is self propelled but she really needs an electric one due to chronic fatigue and joint problems

• if she gets an motability vehicle she will have the freedom to go further afield BUT she then won't be able to go further in the wheelchair she has.

If she could have both the electric wheelchair and the motability vehicle her quality of life would be greatly improved. But she can't so it isn't, she has to decide which she needs most.

When she isn't in her wheelchair she needs two walking sticks. She also has to pay for Carers.

Being disabled is seriously expensive. She is far, far too ill to work, she is unable to leave her bed most days.

she is unable to leave her bed most days.

what does she need a car for then?

Shopping, for the days when she can leave her bed. Many illnesses flare and remiss, she may get several days in bed, several days out of bed.

Perhaps she even wants to breathe fresh air sometimes, visit friends and family, go to the beach etc.