To get a motability car ( and also what’s allowed ?! )

[Justnavigating]

Hi

My 18 year old is in receipt of enhanced mobility PIP. We can get a motability car with it.

I never considered it before as I already have a car. My husband did too , until recently . Now he needs my car ( he earns more and works longer hours , not possible with public transport ) . I take my child everywhere - social groups , days out , meeting friends etc . This has been impacted slightly but not massively with me not having the car all the time .

However , my husband has a new job . 6 days per week and longer hours. This means that the things I take my child to that they rely on are not going to be possible . Nor will the days out ( related to a specific hobby that means a lot to them ) . She also hates being in the house and when I had the car was always with me everywhere - shopping , drives out etc . Now that we can’t do that it is really having an affect and will be worse with the new job . Adding up what I spend on taxis for work, alongside the taxis now for social groups and any days out , I feel that getting a car through motability might be a good option.

However - I will be using it for work too . Is this allowed ? Obviously my work benefits my child and I only work when they are at college ( I do work less in the holidays and I guess would be happy to still get a taxi there if I wasn’t allowed to use the car as it’s not when she is in college ) but realistically me working and using it would be benefitting her due to income and it’s not like she would be getting the bus to places because I have the car and she can’t use it - she can’t drive !!

Am I allowed to use it for work ? It’s not a job that I need my car for ( as in I’m not using the car for a business like deliveries etc ) it’s just going to and from work .

What about if I have a day off for example - am I allowed to use it to take my other children to school ( I don’t do school runs as I work but just if I did happen to have a day off / I may be moving jobs to one where I work from home sometimes so if I was able to do school runs could I ? ) or if I was off and I wanted to get the shopping done or go to see someone could I if my child wasn’t with me ? ) - this really is hypothetical as at the moment I work every day my child is in college .

aside from work there is no other time I would really use it Without her - she’s with me all the time and if , for eg , me and my husband went away or went out for a date night we would have the other car so use that .

I just don’t want to get it and then be worrying and assessing every time I get in it as to whether this particular journey benefits them. Do they expect it to be used as the main car, so in that sense not every single journey is for the disabled child but on the whole it is ?

I know of someone in the same situation who uses it as their general car - but they don’t work so day to day they use it when their 19 year old disabled child is at work but they take them to work and collect them .

You occasionally use it to go somewhere with her is surely different to every day I use the car to go to work without the daughter who uses other transport, when it’s the daughters motability car though

*Without

You can keep your car for up to 5 years.

🙄🙄🙄your just here for an argument really aren't you ?
It will.horrify you that my son goes to his special school every day on transport paid for by the LEA ,whilst my dh uses the mobility car to drive himself to.and from work it might not feel right to you but it's within the rules .

Not everyone can extend their car lease now. Only if there’s lots of adaptations or it is low mileage (20k, I think but can’t 100% remember).

It's within the rules wether you agree with it or not.

No. It's for the first lease. We got it for ours and we have never had a motability car before.

I’m sorry, this is just not true, of course you can use it to do your own journeys . What are you supposed to do, buy another car just for those journeys and have two cars ? Bit pointless really. And we’ve had motability cars for 35 years

Yes - it hasn’t been massively impacted whilst I’ve not had my car all the time , but now I’m never going to have the car , so it will be impacted . I will not be able to take her to ANY of her social groups , activities , days out etc . £50 may seem reasonable but I cannot afford to add a £300 monthly payment for a mobility car on top of that £50 per week .

She has always had transport , this was provided by the council . It still is now she is in college , but I pay for it . Due to the time she starts and the distance , the only possible way I could take her and collect her would to be to give up work completely.

By saying I am using my daughters car to drive to work whilst she is getting transport makes it sound like it’s something within my control sounds like you are implying that I am putting my needs before hers so please if you have a solution to this , I’m all ears!

They don't have to be fitted with a tracker, my brother was a named driver on my insurance. My contract ended last month.

I'm not horrified, but yes I think this is wrong. Still, I think it is different when the person entitled is an adult.

I'm not here for an argument, just giving my view. 38% think OP is unreasonable but probably don't dare posting because they will be accused on being monsters for daring considering it to be wrong.

Yeah well this is mumsnet if you have read the threads over the last few days lots of posters don't like people with disabilities getting more than the bare minimum so I can believe that.

Don’t worry, I completely get it , life’s tough enough with a disabled child or adult without faffing about with cars. You’ll not be doing anything wrong. Speak to motability if you need advice , they’re very helpful.
As an aside I’ve had to retire early to look after mine as I just couldn’t take the physical and mental stress any more. X

You can use it to travel to your normal place of work. The insurance doesn't cover travel for work eg if you visit multiple sites during the working day but the same applies to most standard car insurance.

"Furthermore, for a named driver to use the car for work in an instance that does not directly benefit the Motability claimant, this would not typically be permitted."

I guess you are referring to this. Uncle Bill, who is a named driver and lives 3 doors away from the mobility recipient but isn't financially responsible for them in any way cannot use the car to drive to work as the recipient doesn't benefit from his wages.

DH is allowed to drive Ds2's car to work, though, as DH's wages pay for the roof over Ds2's head.

So , I should have had a motability car for my daughter ( who couldn’t drive it) and another to get myself to work to support her, so two cars instead of one ? Bit pointless really. I really hope you aren’t in this situation yourself, as you’re showing no understanding whatsoever

There's one on every thread. It must be a full time job for certain types.

I don’t see what being an adult or a child has to do with it either, my daughter has learning difficulties, physical disabilities, epilepsy and is visually impaired. So is NEVER to be able to look after herself at any age. I’m busting a gut just trying to look after her and keep myself sane. Not gaily flitting around in her motability car

Well I am getting it at the end of this month for my ds 7th car. He chose to use it to upgrade a model on car he liked ( but can’t drive) so we have heated seats this winter and a better sound system.

We got this too , last year, umpteenth car . It’s a one off, can’t remember why . The good condition bonus is a separate thing

@Justnavigating take no notice of the people who have no experience of the Motability scheme or those who pretend to. I hope you are OK, there are a few nasty comments on here. x

It doesn't bloody matter what your ill I formed opinion on the matter is. OP is perfectly legally working the rules of using the mobility car to commute to work. really doesn't matter if you like it or not!

OP, you have been given good advice here. How the rules are clear. Don't listen to disability hating posters (currently too many on MN).

@PotatoFan stop it. You are talking to people on here who have Motability cars and know what the rules are,

Not only pointless but won't somebody think of the environment ?

The very fact that Motability only put trackers on cars where named drivers are at a different address tells you all you need to know about the rules for use of the car amongst named drivers in the same household.