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 .

The comments about named driver having to live with you, or within a certain radius aren't necessarily correct either.

My named driver lives 30 miles away!

I have always found the staff at Motability incredibly helpful, kind and understanding. They will always work out how to make it work for their customers.

It certainly wasn't a dig.

Now you have clarified the position re finance then you might think about getting a Motability car and at the end of the lease buying it.

Government are currently canvassing view to remove PIP and replace with vouchers or something else. Worth a look and responding.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/modernising-support-for-independent-living-the-health-and-disability-green-paper/modernising-support-for-independent-living-the-health-and-disability-green-paper#how-to-respond

Also she would want a big 4x4 or a truck 🤣 I can’t drive anything that size 🤣

Also - I’m looking at a GT - my husband said that I wouldn’t get it on my insurance

GT is just a trim level, no difference in performance etc

Thank you ☺️

I didn’t know buying it was even an option !

ill take a look x

Oh 🤣 what is he on about then ?! He knows his cars so I don’t know what he was on about !

I'm a named driver on DDads and they live about 20 minutes away

I think there is a general opinion around mobility cars that is very misinformed . It’s not a free car. Most people who have , or are appointees of people with PIP , don’t just have that money sitting in their account doing nothing . It’s part of income for bills etc . So it is an extra bill to have a car . It’s a great scheme and obviously you get all the extras but it’s similar to finance / leasing - it’s just a lot more accessible .

Honestly the amount of people that have said to me “ don’t you get a free car ?! “ 🤣

I also know of people that really abuse it and that doesn’t help with the opinions of people .

I know of someone who has one for their son - yet he works and gets the bus to work ! This is his choice but usually you don’t get enhanced mobility if the claimant can go out on public transport alone .

I also knew of a family member years ago ( cousin ) who’s mom got enhanced mobility but didn’t drive so she let her son pay her the money for the car and have it . Didn’t live together and actually lived in another town so don’t know how it was possible but he just used it as his car , never took his mom anywhere . He did lose it and I’m not certain on the facts but I know he had an accident on the way to work ( no where near where his mom lived ) so I imagine it was something to do with that .

And?

It doesn't mean the car becomes the mothers and there can be issues.

Eg if the daughter goes in to hospital for 28 days PIP stops being paid and over the years there have been changes to what happens to a Motability car under those circumstances and no one knows what changes may happen in the future.

My parents were once asked, "How does it work with petrol? Do you get vouchers?"

Completely understand that.

My daughter goes on holidays with a family member sometimes - I imagine that in that situation , I wouldn’t be covered driving it around . Maybe I could argue that I’m still bringing an income in but I guess to be safe I would just get taxis that week .

Her award is for 10 years but I know things change . She wants more independence, if that’s possible and she manages it then I’m aware enhanced could be taken away and we would lose the car . But in that situation the fact she can go out independently would be worth it .

My dad told me with confidence that I’ll get a car for free and won’t have to pay petrol either . This was when my son was 5 he was like “ why haven’t you claimed for the free car “ 🤣

Yes to advance payments being the same in all garages. The advance payments change every quarter so ask when that next is.
If you go unto the motability website there is a car choser thing ( can’t remember the correct name) you put in what you need ie five door, five seats etc and it will bring up cars you are allowed to chose from.
If your daughter isn’t going to be driving it then she will be the customer ( but letters etc will come to you as her appointee) and you and your husband ( and a third person if wanted) will be named drivers on the insurance.
One point to note if car is involved in accident you must declare it via insurance- you can’t do the repairs yourself.
Not sure about credit check but I am named driver on my ds car and my credit rating was in its boots thanks to nonsense carried out by my ex husband and it went through no problem.
Take an afternoon and drive around some local garages.. most of them now have named pip advisors and they can be rubbish or great. I was recently interested in a car- the garage pip advisor was rude and dismissive so I left and chose a different garage with a lovely advisor who gave me great advice.
As I said before I go out on my own and look at lots then I get it down to three or four I would be happy to drive then I take my ds to look at the cars and chose his favourite. He has no idea about engines etc, he just goes by the look and the sound system 😂 but I let him chose his choice from my suitable short list. I also always let him chose the colour as it’s always black 😂so no chance of a yellow/orange/green combo.
Once you get Car you literally only have to put petrol in it. Everything else is covered by your daughter’s pip payment ( as we all know it not a free Car 🤦🏼‍♀️)
In my case I am v content to have a reliable, safe, always starts first time car for outr frequent hospital appts, emergencies and also like you to get my ds to his minimal social life. Do I use it for shopping, taking his grandfather out, going to the cinema etc etc yes I do and stuff those who think that is inappropriate. They can come live my life and my sons then they can judge.

You do not get the car, your 18 year old does.

Actually, as appointee, technically the lease would be in OP’s name.

I have looked into this in the past. I was advised not to buy as it will be top book price.

It's not automatic for enhanced mobility. You have to score a certain number of points under the moving around descriptor. So if scored points under the other mobility descriptor, they won't automatically be eligible . All councils vary slightly in their criteria I believe.

Not everyone receiving the enhanced mobility component of PIP automatically qualifies for a blue badge.

People in receipt of 10 points under descriptor E of the planning and following a journey activity automatically qualify.

It’s different in different areas. In my area my dad automatically qualifies.
OP I get what you mean about your ds not always needing one. We are in same boat- I got my ds one and we only use it on bad days when he can’t manage to walk any distance and needs to go out.

Thank you !

I like your attitude! People forget about the carers of those with disabilities and how it impacts their life too x

Exactly!! It’s not easy and I won’t be judged by people who don’t walk in my shoes.
Enjoy choosing your ds new car 💐

The discretionary rules differ in different areas, but the rules for those who qualify automatically for a blue badge are the same for all of England.

Anyone meeting one of the following criteria automatically qualifies:

• “you receive the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• you receive a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) because you can’t walk more than 50 metres (a score of 8 points or more under the ‘moving around’ activity of the mobility component)
• you are registered blind (severely sight impaired)
• you receive a War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
• you have received a lump sum benefit within tariff levels 1 to 8 of the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation) Scheme and have been certified as having a permanent and substantial disability that causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking
• you receive the mobility component of PIP and have obtained 10 points specifically for descriptor E under the ‘planning and following journeys’ activity, on the grounds that you are unable to undertake any journey because it would cause you overwhelming psychological distress”

No credit check required

My Foster Son has a motability car. We took him to choose it. He chose a bright royal blue. The cost was about £200 extra for the blue but we thought it was important he chose it as his car. He is 17 but due to learning disabilities won't ever be able to drive. We went expecting to get a Peugeot 208 but after test driving it and the 2008 I found I could see better out of the 2008 as I'm short. We ordered it and had to wait 10 weeks. I think he could have got a burnished orange one in 7 weeks. We have a family car for ourselves. I drive almost 500 miles a week driving him to and from college every morning then again late afternoon to collect him. He can't go to a closer college and he has a 1-1 support at his college. He also has quite a few sporting activities he does every week and I'm driving him somewhere 4 nights out of the 7. He'll get a penalty because of excessive miles because I've driven him almost 22k miles this year. It's a good scheme and I can't fault it. Also before he had his car we were putting on 22k miles every year on our car in addition to our own usage. If your DC a pointer you will sign contract on DC behalf. You need to take PIP or DLA awards letter showing at least 1 year left on award.