AIBU to feel horrified at the number of Motability vehicles being provided?

[DawnRaiderNight]

Just read this in the Telegraph about what the Americans think of our welfare spending:

“It also shocks Americans to learn that almost one in every five new cars sold in Britain is provided through Motability, the taxpayer-backed car scheme. The equivalent in the United States would be every Chevy, GMC, Buick and Cadillac sold through welfare. Or every Ford”

One of my friend’s daughters, aged 27, who has never worked, has several children with various diagnoses and is a single parent recently received a top of the range car, got to choose the colour and was given a ‘big reveal’ at the garage when she collected it. She has now been given a new four bedroomed detached house, something my own hardworking children could never manage.

Something is very, very wrong in this country.

One of the main reasons, we get a Motability car now for DD1, as opposed to an ordinary lease, is the fact she lives in a care home and needs an open policy, so that any of the 30 staff, who work on her house, can drive her about in her car.

She doesn’t have capacity, so cannot enter into the contract to lease a car or get the insurance. I have to do it for her. I have no idea, how much an insurance policy for me, DH and all of the staff would be; but I bet it’s a lot! Then, if they had an accident, it would affect my no claims bonus and put up my premiums!

Then there’s the roadside assistance - how would that work, if it’s in my name; but potentially 30 unrelated people are driving her in her car around and it breaks down one day?

There’s none of these problems with a Motability car!

Social housing is extremely hard to get, and the days of waiting on a list til you get one are long gone. The allocations policy is based on ‘need’, and that can be subjective. And people who are ‘given’ a house, are getting an affordable lifetime tenancy.

Some people with disabilities are in completely unsuitable and expensive housing because there are few suitable social rented properties, similarly the old and frail. Most private tenants are at a disadvantage. More expensive, no security of tenure. Definitely time for England to withdraw the Right to Buy. Wales and Scotland took action some years ago.

It is very hard to get which means there was probably very good reason for OP's friends daughter. It's likely she doesn't know all of the details.

I only waited a month for my social house due to the circumstances at the time. The circumstances have to be pretty dire if it is a quick wait.

There are many genuine disabled people who will be struggling even on enhanced PIP due to the cost of care. BUT we do need to face the fact that the benefit bill is huge and constantly increasing. I know someone who barely worked a day in her life and lives alone in a 3 bed council house all rent covered and only has to pay £10 a month council tax and gets enhanced PIP as she says she can barely walk and feels suicidal because of it. She spends her days in the gym, drinking and takes drugs at raves! I’ve been on nights out and witnessed her getting up dancing on tables and saying please no one film me il have the DWP on my back!

Another woman claims she can’t wash herself and needs her niece to stay overnight but it’s all lies and she is up and about on school runs with her grandchildren and has an on the side business regularly doing church fairs etc She’s forever booking holidays abroad! Got a housing association property with spare bedroom “for a carer to stay”

Another woman barely worked a day in her life says her daughter has ADHD perhaps she does but lets her have ridiculous amount of screen time and constant sweets and coke. Really don’t think that’s helping her child! They have all rent paid and go on expensive outings she says that’s what child DLA is for!

There are many working families who don’t qualify for social housing and stuck paying high rents and have no spare money for holidays/days out. Paying huge amounts of council tax and struggling to help their child get through university. Many working mothers exhausted from raising children whilst working full time. Hardly fair!

I don’t think many people want to have a disability or child with disability so maybe time to consider move to care packages of good quality care make sure if you need help showering someone comes in and does a good service etc if you struggling to prepare meals you get provided with good quality meal. Supermarket vouchers where you can only redeem using photo ID and proof of NINO unlimited cash is not the answer

I highly doubt that would actually save money. Good quality care packages are expensive.

Not to mention how much it would cost to implement and that it would also be argued that UC, child benefit etc shouldn't be cash either unless we believe that only disabled people can't be trusted with cash benefits.

Why have you not reported them then?

Because they're fiction.

Those with genuine need deserve good quality care so we need to pay for it if they can’t afford it themselves. We need to cut back the amount spent on PIP that’s not being spent on actual care needs.

I read an article which showed 60% of UC claimants have deductions taken from their payment. Many of those are for debt. Definitely money management skills are needed to be taught and yes i would consider a move towards supermarket vouchers or direct payments towards gas/electricity/water they have to be paid for anyway and i’d be happy if someone was paying my gas/electricity/water etc

Some people don’t like to hear it but we have an issue with people not taking any personal responsibility towards themselves they just expect someone else to pay for them and that kind set needs to change as we can’t continue at this rate

PIP isn’t just for funding care. In fact, lots will receive care via social care or the ICB on top of PIP.

My DSs’ benefits aren’t spent on care fees but their benefits are spent on other disability related expenses. We spend far more on disability related costs that aren’t care than they receive in benefits. They receive funding for care on top, which costs far more than PIP.

Cutting back on PIP wont make it better for the people still on it.
You are incredibly naive to think so.

They are most certainly not fiction if it helps people il go report. Nothing seems to come of it though! I reported a relative of my exs who slagged me off to a close friend not realising the link called me all sorts of awful things and said i was main factor for her mental health! if anything i’d always tried to be kind to her. She has told me she claims PIP for anxiety and depression and that she can’t leave the house, can’t wash herself. She’s lying she goes out shopping, would try come visit me even when told her could not have her round as was working from home and she has multiple holidays. I reached my limit and reported and nothing seems to have came from it. Absaloute joke!! Meanwhile there working people struggling to pay for basic living and hanging on by a thread trying to juggle home life and work balance. Workers only get £12500 tax free but someone on benefits can get £3000 a month tax free by time receive all benefits and it’s simply unfair

The government isn't going to spend a fortune on care when the cheaper option is to have carers allowance and DLA/PIP.

I'd hate a voucher system and I'm glad that it doesn't seem to be going that way. People determined to take advantage of the system will always find a way and genuine people shouldn't be punished for that.

I don’t know what you class as care needs but my DD1 is blind and disabled. Her most recent pair of glasses cost £450 because she is a teen and doesn’t want to look like she’s wearing milk bottle bottoms. I paid off my mortgage at 32, I have zero debt, I have no credit card, no catalogue accounts, I shop like a ninja. I have to claim UC as I’m unable to work as my two adopted children have complex disabilities and significant care needs. I wonder if you might consider my two children as worthy of good quality care? I also wonder if you would prefer that care to come from me at £86 per week via my Carer’s Allowance or if you would be happy for me to admit defeat and relinquish my challenging and violent children to the state to be accommodated at a cost locally of £17K each per week?

If your child’s money is being spent on care or things that have a direct improvement on their health and daily needs/education there’s no issue. It’s the huge amount of benefits being paid out for and a lot of it being spent on rubbish that’s the issue.

Well your plan for disability benefits is pointless then and would cost more to administer than it would save. The majority spend far more on disability related expenses than they receive in disability benefits.

What do you define as rubbish?

You sound like a shit friend if you said you are supportive of someone then reported them.
Maybe nothing came of it because she was not doing anything wrong. BTW, if you reported her, you would not be told of the outcome anyway.
People with depression are allowed to leave the house and go on holiday. I do both.

How do you know how much of PIP is spent on rubbish?
It is not tracked in any way. When people apply for PIP, they are not asked about their spending, and they are not asked about it when they are claiming.
Why do you think you know better?

If nothing comes of it, that'll be because there's nothing going on.

You just admitted that you have reported someone out of spite!

Voucher schemes have been tried, with negative outcomes except for black marketeers.

You need to stop conflating UC and PIP - doing so makes you looked enough less credible.

Lastly, PIP is not an out of work benefit.

Anything that isn't gruel and stale bread. People on benefits aren't allowed treats and fun, ever. Even those who work.

I reported a relative of my exs who slagged me off to a close friend not realising the link called me all sorts of awful things and said i was main factor for her mental health!

How did she know it was you who made the report?

In my work role i review people income and expenditure and unfortunately there’s often so much non essentials listed and then claims they struggling financially as benefits are not enough. In an ideal word ok maybe spending on luxuries is good for people but people also need to take some personal responsibility for their situation. Meanwhile there are other people working incredibly hard pushing through and not even considering spending on luxuries.

Im not going to keep arguing my point as on sites such as this there are people crying out poor disabled people give them unlimited cash but reality is they still people like everyone else and some need to learn to budget and spend on priorities first and we have a system where if struggling on lower incomes it becomes an easy option to say all the buzz words and get awarded a load of free cash. It’s fine for people to say well i have no issue with it but someone has to pay for it and we just can’t afford it.

I only reported after what i heard being said about me. It was awful and a load of lies so reached my limit and thought perhaps truth would be better going forwards. And that’s the reality whether or not people on here want to admit it there are genuine cases who need support and non genuine who are feeling off buzz words to get free cash/vouchers/cars and not taking personal responsibility for their own situation and putting the hard work in or budgeting. Not gonna argue my point any more as some people not willing to see it but situation getting out of hand it’s simply unaffordable

I am well aware UC and PIP are not just out of work benefits. I work in a role where i see claims and review income and expenditure. Unfortunately there is a lot of non priority expenditure leading to debt and then cries of i’ve only got benefits!! Many claims are much more than some full time workers receive and they prioritise and get no council tax or rent discount and pay tax over £12500.

Maybe i’m unique but if i was receiving large top up on top of wages or just as an income without working and. was told we will pay X amount direct to fuel/water/food vouchers/council tax i’d be more than grateful and it would help going forward as whether or not i am being shouted at for stereotyping many claimants are not paying priority bills and instead spending on things which are non essential. If money was not an issue ok let them but we need to fart is and it’s unaffordable at current rate. Anyway not going to keep arguing my point as sometimes i feel sites like this don’t want to see things from all sides

No one has been advocating for poor disabled people, to be given 'unlimited cash'. It is hyperbole like this, that makes so much of what you have written appear disingenuous, which most of it is.