To think this is a fair change to the Motability scheme...

[BusyBumbling]

BBC News - 'Premium' cars like BMW and Mercedes cut from Motability scheme
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd9znkxq47xo

It's still supporting disabled people with the cost of owning a car whilst also supporting the British car industry. I think public opinion has been listened to on both sides and this seems very sensible.
It may also reduce some of the costs of the grants paid from the scheme which were helping fund the upfront cost for premium cars for poorer claimants.

It's not green eyes when people are having to give up their time to pay for the lives they lead, which includes the car they can afford. It's removing the incentive to work. I wouldn't be surprised if everyone just downed tools and walked away. Nobody wants that to happen, but then the unions do it all the time.

I think it's high time Atlas shrugged.

apparently you missed the part where I said that motability cars can be adapted by the person leasing it AFTER they take delivery.

Of course it’s fair.

Because it seems you want to police what disabled people spend their money on

I think what we've seen here is that after many hours of discussion, these changes can be made at the touch of a button. There is zero effort required for this. The government can do a lot of stuff with ease, it just chooses not to.

I’ve got a Motability car. It’s a Skoda. My car before this was a VW and the one before that was a BMW. The cheapest one to buy, retail, by a long shot, was the BMW whereas the Skoda is the most expensive. No one is getting their knickers in a twist and jumping up and down about me having a bloody Skoda though are they? Nope, they’re kicking off about people having a little Audi A1. It’s absolutely bloody pathetic.

Every single Motability car I have had has had a substantial advance payment because I’m unable to drive a manual car anymore due to my disability. Then I need a certain spec, adaptations and higher up, SUV or MPV type car. I, also, need a hoist for a power chair and a boot big enough to fit it.

When I became disabled I worked until I literally couldn’t drag myself in any more. We qualify for zero benefits other than PIP. If I didn’t have my car I’d be stuck in the house. I can’t walk to the bus stop so I wouldn’t even be able to get to my appointments. My husband already takes multiple days off per year because a lot of my appointments are 60-70miles away.

Disabled people are not the ones who are causing the problems in this country. This won’t save a penny. All it’s done is cause division,

If you are not disabled, and you need a car then you have the privilege of choice.
You can look on Autotrader/Gumtree/FB and pick up a banger for a few £100 and be able to get to and from work.
People with physical disabilities can not do that.

Maybe she doesn't feel the need to share her personal medical information with you ?

The majority of disabled people that are eligible for Motability choose non adapted cars and don't choose WAVs. They absolutely have regular cars. I know because I've bought a second hand one.

You’re missing my point. I’m referring to the people who DO NOT need an adapted vehicle full stop because they are able to use a regular car.

People who do need a vehicle with adaptions should be able to have the more expensive vehicles through the scheme - as it would be necessity. People who can drive a regular car and receive PIP but cannot afford a car should also be able to access the scheme with a selection of regular vehicles to choose from that require no down payment - because it is a necessity.

I am specifically referring to those who don’t need adaptions AND already have the money in the bank to buy themselves a car.

I'm going to cross post from the other thread about this 🙄

For those saying adapted cars only - I don't need an adapted car. If I ever get to drive again (we selected our motability car when it looked like I'd be driving again within six months; that was nearly 3 years ago and no progress yet!) I need a car with autonomous emergency braking (the newer and more advanced the system, the better), lane departure warning (and ideally, lane keep assist), and the best safety features possible. Those features aren't adaptations; they're features - generally of the newest cars, which I couldn't afford in a million years without motability.

What do you envisage when you see a car that is available on the Motability scheme? I envisage space and contraptions for a wheelchair, controls on the steering wheel for those with difficulties with the brake and accelerator and a large knob fitted to the steering wheel to aid with.... STEERING.

Not a high-powered Mercedes that almost looks like it's supposed to be chauffeur-driven.

The people who leased the cars have to pay for the adaptations to be removed at the end of the lease, adaptations don’t remain on the vehicle.

Absolutely right! Why should we slave away and have a basic car that we can barely afford. Im not the sort of person that wants to see someone with PIP destitute, struggling to survive - but why do they need a flashy new BMW they don't even have to work for?

No, the car was never adapted. I was talking to the manager of the place that sold them. The majority don't get adaptions removed because they were never in there in the first place.

Seems fair to me, but only a small step.

Larger cars should be a separate category of licence, and you have to prove a clean licence for a period of time before you can drive one. I would like a separate extra test, but as there are not enough examiners, not an option.

If you think basic adaptions are all that is needed that you are mistaken.

"You’re missing my point. I’m referring to the people who DO NOT need an adapted vehicle full stop because they are able to use a regular car."

My adult son doesn't need an adapted vehicle but he does need one that accommodates 4 carers, his folded wheelchair, has height and has sliding rear doors. Cars like this all need a down payment.

their needs might be covered by things which are standard to the model of car they have chosen...are you saying that they shouldn't be able to have a car which would suit their needs?

In my EU country we stopped means testing the transportation subsidy for disabled (so more people got it) and the result was slight positive for the tax payer before counting the administration costs.

Our test was based on net income, and it turned out that the edge effect (earn more than X and you don't get the money) was so significant that many disabled people did they best to stay just below it.

Once the cap was removed, they weren't afraid to earn a bit more and they pay more taxes on the income.

A theory is it wasn't only about the immediate money, but about some sense of security- if they earned over the limit one year and fall back below it the year later, it would take some time to get it reestablished (when means testing), so the risks of going a bit above threshold were much bigger.

They take the adaptations out before they’re sold on ffs, so you wouldn’t know.

What are the 'complex adaptions' required for a disabled person to drive a car if you think wheelchairs, steering wheel controls and large knobs fitted to steering wheels are what you consider 'basic'?

Or are you thinking that all cars on Motability should be self-driving?

I think most people see WAVs differently. We all know that there are some luxury branded cars that neither WAVs or adapted that are available on Motability. Those are the ones that are contentious

@Trumpisacuntshe has done so. She is absolutely adamant I would be entitled to PIP. But I wouldn’t be.

How many times! I was talking to the man that owned the place. He knows the process from end to end. The car (and most others) were never adapted.