AIBU to be a tad [hmm] about my neighbours new car?

[DairyleaAndPickleOnAStick]

First off, this is absolutely NOT a benefits bashing thread.

I am probably BVU and this will show me up to be a nasty, mean spirited and bitter aul crone, BUT my neighbours just took delivery of a brand new car today- (think 3 letter, premium marque) - which they receive AFAIK through the motibility scheme. (Where I live this is very common practice.) Neither of them work and presumably receive benefits and HB. They definitely rent their house as we know the owner.

My DH and I were both high earning professionals before the recession hit and paid a very considerable sum for our own house, unfortunately we were both made redundant (within weeks of each other) several years ago and have fought tooth and nail to keep our home (both working very low paid unskilled jobs, taking in lodgers and DH moving away for a year to retrain.)

Obviously we are very fortunate to have been able to hold on to our home but it has been an incredibly tough few years- the pressures of redundancy, unemployment, and being on the breadline have taken a massive toll on our mental health, wellbeing and relationships- both with each other and family/friends.
My DH came home today soaked through after being out all afternoon in the pouring rain selling electricity door to door.

As I said upthread this is not a benefits bashing thread- I am fully aware that being on benefits is no picnic- DH and I spent 6 months on the dole and it was beyond grim, however AIBU to want to weep out of frustration seeing my neighbours new beemer parked in the driveway??

God ds1 would love to lay a patio, if it involved a cement mixer. That could be interesting.

The [badge] smiley would be of me beating my head off my keyboard.

And I don't have a badge or a 'free' car [loser]

yes the badge smiley could be the International Symbol of Access

I am commenting from the position of someone who understands that there is not enough money to go round and that thanks to Dave and George hard choices are going to be inflicted on those who are least equipped to deal with them. Means testing is one way of attempting to help the most vulnerable. If you can afford to hire a basic car (or buy one) then it is sensible to give welfare state money to those who can't afford to buy basic food staples for their cupboards. Loaf of bread/ enabling the purchase of a BMW, let me think......I have nothing against DLA or provision of vehicles where people are unable to support it or fund themselves. The BMW example in the OP is just example of non essential allocation of funds.

This morning I found out that after scrimping and saving I can pay for my daughters extension, most of the cost of this extension is being met by our council, the rest has had to be found, we are not talking a few quid but thousands.
I didn't jump around with joy, I cried because finally after 4 years of bloody stressful caring on my own, I will finally have something that will make mine and her life easier.
There will be people out their that will be envious of the fact that it seems to them I am getting a bigger house at reduced cost, they will tell me I'm a lucky so and so, even a councillor in my city agrees with them. What none of them see is me dragging her adult body upstairs, pulling her knickers down and placing her on the toilet because her body yet again has decided to yet again stop working, and no one is available to help me at these times.
I am thankful we have schemes like grants for extensions, house conversions, motibility schemes, DSA, DLA etc because it makes her life and my life a little easier. NB. I said easier not easy.
Everything we have got, the limited help and support, we have fought for, none if it has been thrown at us, it wasn't given to us on a silver platter, it has been emotionally and physically draining.
If anyone thinks that these things are easy to get give it a go, the DLA form is accessible to anyone to view and fill in.

OP, You are going through a tough time , I hope things improve for you. Life can be shit. I am sorry you lost your jobs.

We could have got a mobility car. Our 9-year-old daughter had leukaemia.

She died before we got anything.

Want to trade?

Think your life has been grim?

Get a grip.

you don't purchase a motability car you lease it and if you qualify for higher rate mobility the allocation of funds is to pay for your increased transport costs due to your severe disability or illness so if you don't lease the car through the scheme you could use the allowance to include taxis to the hospital, bus fares (if you can access public transport) parking charges, fuel, repairs to your own vehicle if you have one, a motability scooter

But you get that the BMW is leased don't you?

It isn't free. So I expect that leasing cars to people for whom it then provides safe and appropriate means of travelling in the context of their disability is probably good and sensible use of money.

If you are worried about the 'loaf of bread vs something else' equation I think there are about a squillion things in front of an equitable method of increasing independence in people dealing with disabilities.

The money spent in DLA allows people to be independent. Most, barring a small percentage will be saving greater cost to the tax payer. Not least as it will allow many to remain in work and therefore pay taxes.

I don't think they get it at all pagwatch, the posters think they have purchased the bmw and it's a ridiculous allocation 'of funds' They don't seem to grasp how the scheme even works, but this is an age old mumsnet debate isnt it?

some information about how the scheme works

Do you feel you have the right to say how anyone else spends their money at all or is that just reserved for the disabled?

Child tax credit for example, what is and isn't acceptable?

It's good to know the rules.

Geegee's post actually disgusted me.

Why shouldn't disabled people enjoy the things others can.

I bet you have a huge flashy car and enjoy luxuries as you look down your nose at others less fortunate than you.

Expat - I'm so sorry, . Threads like this must be very hurtful and frustrating for you (but it's not a benefit bashing thread ok??) x

In all fairness I do have sympathy for people eho don't understand how these things work. Let's be honest, we would all prefer to live in joyful oblivion to the DLA system.

What I don't get is the crass 'yeah but...' posters.
The ones who clearly know nothing but rather than say 'oh. I didn't realise that. I have learnt something, it is more complicated than I though' just blather on with increasingly waffle reasons which just boil down to 'they don't look deserving'

I think the op actually has an open mind and posted in haste. While she is bruised by the kicking she got (some of which I thought was too harsh) I would bet my britches that she looks at it differently now.
Ithink she is alright - just having a frustrating time.

I agree with you pagwatch

Zebrafinch and Expat,
My sincere sympathies.

The forms are hard. But I think the 'life limiting illness' section must be one of the most awful things on the face of the earth.
If ever there was a need to re-personalise the welfare state this embodies it.

I am so sorry.

The motability scheme isn't wholly taxpayer funded. Motability is a charity, and like other charities raises funds. Cars that are going to cost more for Motability to run come with a higher advance payment. The lease money and the money from the sale of the cars goes back into the scheme. And there are many cars which do not come under the scheme. As I know I can no longer afford a Scenic on the scheme (as they now all have hefty advance payments) I have been researching alternatives for our renewal next year and quite a few of my alternatives are not on the scheme at all.

It isn't the case at all that the tax payer hands over the full cost of a new car for each Motability car.

If you're worried about disabled people scrounging all the money, don't, report after report has shown that those with disabilities are being particularly affected by this recession. As a group that already had many living in poverty it's fairly grim reading. (Think it's something like more than 50% of people with disabilities live in poverty).

pagwatch, I'm not sure that the leasing aspect really works as an argument tbh.

Most brand new cars seem to be on a leasehold scheme these days.

A relative although entitled to DLA ignored our advice and actually bought a car, they had to give a down payment, pay so much a month, then at the end of the term, they had to either pay (or finance) a huge lump sum, or hand the keys back and they got nothing. Plus, during that time, they still had pay for tyres, servicing, insurance, tax, etc. They coudln't afford it at the end of the lease so it went back.

We on the other hand used our DLA for the car and paid £1K uo front, which was more than covered by the saving on insurance, tyres, etc. Plus at the end of the three years we got a cheque for £250 once we gave it back. Or we could have purchased it and kept it.

I'm not disability bashing, just trying to point out that the fact it is lease is irrelevant really.

And also, I've not read the whole thread, but I did think the torys were stopping luxury cars on DLA because of the extra amount it costs the government?

Expat
Your post puts it all into perspective.
Hope you are OK x

They're very hurtful, to hear people moan about how disabled people get something for 'free' and they don't realise, how fucking lucky they are, to be healthy.

It is relevant Chops given that some poster are given the car free of charge. Which was the point I was making - it wasn't free.

Oh I've found a good website that goes through all the myths

This is fairly key:

As Disability Minister Maria Miller noted in a Parliamentary Answer: ?Motability is largely self financed and the only funding the Department for Work and Pensions gives the scheme relates to the Specialised Vehicles Fund.? In 2010/11, this DWP funding totalled £18.2 million, a long way short of the £1.4 billion claimed in the press.Instead, this is calculated by taking the mobility component (£51.40) over a year (£2,672.80) for all of the 540,351 people involved in the Motability scheme, giving a total contribution of £1.44 billion. As we've already noted, this is money that would have been paid out to fund the transport needs of higher rate mobility DLA claimants regardless of whether or not the scheme was in existence.

Please note the parliamentary answer: Motability is largely self financed

The original link

Some poster think they are given a car free.

"so fucking shoot me"

Steady on.

You'd be much happier if you just worried about your own affairs that's all.