Motability car use…

[TheSecondMrsMoorcroft]

Posting here for traffic.

I have a 22yr old son who’s in receipt of PIP. We have a Motability car FOR HIS USE.

I have applied for a nursing post (community based) and need use of a vehicle. It’s part time and so, work use will be strictly limited to around 10-12hrs a week only. However, I’m thinking I can’t use this car for this purpose. It will not affect my using the car for my son. It is his vehicle (he doesn’t drive and has difficulty crossing the road, even) and my hours must work around him.

Does anyone know? AIBU to even consider using “his” car for my work use?

Dominoes delivery (or any goods delivery) requires a different type of insurance to someone driving from place to place to carry out their work (a nurse). One is insurance to transport (nurse ) between workplaces, a delivery driver is actually working whilst driving - paid to drive, plus the delivery item/package requires insurance.

@Alphabet1spaghetti2

Thanks, that makes perfect sense.

@SidTwaddell

I already clarified I wasn't being doubtful when I said that. It would have been very helpful for a man I worked with a few years ago. That's all.

@softpilllow you are welcome - I had to ask a delivery driver a very similar question a few years ago! I gather that a lot of people hope they don’t have a need to claim as the delivery driver insurance is astronomical. For me to use my car for business use (community carer) cost me no extra on my premium, whilst the delivery driver premium went up by £1k and that was roughly 7years ago.

My son has a motability car. I asked motability about using it once a week when I have to get quickly from work to be in time for him getting in from his SEN college (he gets school transport). They said, that as I am providing for my son by means of work and income, as he doesn't/is unable to work, then I can use the car for that as it is benefitting him.

As has been said by one or two other people, a lot of those who have commented, either haven't fully understood the Motability rules, or have never had a Motability car. The rules state that the named drivers on the policy, can drive the car with, or without claimant, as long as the journey is being made for the claimant's benefit. So if you're going shopping for the claimant, or are a parent etc. going to and from work to earn money which is to benefit the claimant that's fine. However, the normal insurance with Motability only covers travel commuting to and from work, not to enable you to do your job, as the OP needs to do. Therefore she needs to contact Motability, to see if they will give their permission for her to use it for this purpose. Personally, I've found the Motability team to be very helpful, and don't think the OP will have a problem getting the additional insurance, but to do it without checking would be foolish in the extreme, which is why she has sensibly said she will call them to check.

Just use it.

This brings to mind a local TV news story, the husbands car and tools and ladders for his work were stolen, it made the local news. Much was made of the fact that this was their child’s Mobility paid for car.
Then the Mum was interviewed explaining that the child had already left for school, that morning, when her husband’s vehicle was stolen, the child travelled in the Council paid for taxi, which they were collected in every** school day.
So not only did they have a fully funded car, they were laughingly making use of a free taxi too.

However, your case is different, I would use the car, in your case, you need the job.

My husband had one. It could only be used if he was either driving or a passenger. The rules are very strict

That's not true. The car can be used for any purpose as long as it's benefitting the person who needs it.

I have dealt with this issue a few times as a social worker in adult social care. We get a lot of parents who use the car for work, and then ask us to fund taxis to take the person to their activities as they state they need it for work. We have also had parents keep the Motability car to use even when the person has moved into supported living, leaving the person with no transport. Both are unacceptable! However in your situation, I would say that is fine. As long as if he did need it in the future for himself to get somewhere, you didn't prevent that by saying you need to use it to get to work.

Mobility allow one named driver business use with no change in premium.

'the child travelled in the Council paid for taxi, which they were collected in every school day.'

Ds gets enhanced mobility ( although does not have a car) and has a 'free' taxi to his specialist school and back everyday. No laughing here. In reality we would much rather he didn't actually get either and he was able to manage the same as his neurotypical peers.

I don't know insand outs of Motability but to use your car for work in the community (NHS) you must be insured for business use. And every year you must produce your renewal certificate.

Hi, OP.

I am in the exact same position as you. Adult son has car on motability which I drive (because he can't- complex learning disability). I also work for the NHS and carry out community visits. All I had to do was call the insurance to update it to business insurance, which does not incur any extra charge, and renew that insurance annually/when I change vehicle.

It's fine, simple and easy. Motability have no issue with it, the NHS have no issue with it, nor do the insurance company.

The one thing is you can't upgrade your insurance until the actual start date of your job, but it's 24 hours max for your new policy to update in your online account and then forward your payroll dept and line manager the documentation.

Yes definitely contact motability. We had one for our son for years. Motability are really great when you contact them and really understanding. I don’t know one family that don’t use their child’s motability car as their normally family car, they told me when I phoned for something similar that they fully understand it will be used for normal family stuff and for work commutes and that’s fine.

The registered keeper of the car doesn't have to live with the person who's PIP pays for it. The parents can keep the car to visit their child in supported accommodation, help them with shopping etc.
Also, as I've explained to social services who think I have the ability to be in two places at once dropping my son at an activity in one town and my daughter at school in an another, the motability car is paid for, not my services as a chauffeur!
Why shouldn't my son have a taxi as well?

As usual with these threads, this one is veering towards the narrative of people taking advantage of their 'free' car and ignoring that most of us parents who have a motability car would give anything for our children not to need it.

@tillytoodles1 that's simply not true, it has to benefit the disabled person. You can drive to work to provide an income but you can't use it as a taxi or delivery driver for example as then driving becomes part of your job.

A motability car isn’t “free” or fully funded! . You pay for it using the mobility part of DLA or PIP. Over £250 per month. Motability accept that the car will be used by family and most children who get high/enhanced rate mobility will have complex needs and get transport for school. 99% of children at my sons special school goes to school on the bus or in a taxi. Parents aren’t “laughingly making use of a free taxi”. Most parents need to work so can’t take their children to school and most special schools don’t want or even allow 300 parents bringing their kids to school and causing absolute chaos in the mornings and afternoons.

Comments like this make me furious. Life is hard enough as it is with a child with complex needs and disabilities without people like you making ignorant comments. I can tell you I’d much rather have a child that doesn’t need and will need 24/7 care for the rest of their lives than a bloody motability car!

Exactly.

i suppose I should think myself “lucky” that my child is disabled so I can get a “free” car to use and thousands in benefits . 🙄. If he could speak and communicate I’d guess he feels lucky too!

Growing up we had a disability car for my disabled mum and it was used for everything including my dad to get to work. There was no way we could have afforded two cars.

Just ring and ask them.

I had to as I was being driven to work, which would be fine but it wasn't a fixed work address, I was being driven to clients homes and at the time (it may have changed) that needed specific permission.

I also had some drama on setting off home from a 3 day training course, ringing them to switch drivers last minute and the person I spoke to on the phone (incorrectly!) told me I couldn't do that, that they couldn't insure someone as it was business related...

I asked how she thought me and my two wheelchairs were getting back from a soggy wet field the far end of Hertfordshire to Worcestershire minus the car, and what was the point of the Motability scheme if I can't attend a mandatory training event... she found a supervisor who had a brain and it was fine, but that was a sticky moment, so its always best to check things beforehand!

Keeping a roof over his head, meals on the table, and clean clothes are definitely in your son’s best interest.

Free taxi comment 😡🙄

My son travels to his complex needs school in a taxi everyday. He needs an escort. For most children with severe sen they will need someone sitting in the car next to them as well as someone driving. Lots of parents cannot use the mobility car for school runs for this reason, not to mention if they have other children to get to local schools at the same time - many children with sen travel miles to get to their specialist school (my sons journey last year was a 23 mile trip each way). It’s much more complex than getting a “free taxi”.