Luxury cars removed from the motability scheme

[AutumnLeavesandKnittedJumpers]

https://news.sky.com/story/luxury-cars-removed-from-motability-scheme-ahead-of-budget-13475029

too little too late. As a full time worker I can’t afford to run a car, let alone a luxury car. Motability should be a standard car - available in automatic and manual, an option for wheelchair users, and that’s it.

Can you post a link, because Stephen Timms has made a statement to the effect that aside from plans already underway to restrict access to ‘luxury’ models, except where need is paramount, there are no plans for any other changes to te scheme until a review of the recent consultation, due next year.

From the BBC

‘Motability said the change would be made with immediate effect, as it announced a new ambition for half of the cars it leases to be British-built by 2035.

Ahead of Wednesday's Budget, critics have called on the government to look at changing the scheme, which allows eligible disabled people to lease adaptable cars.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the increased use of British-built cars would "support thousands of well paid, skilled jobs" and help to boost the economy.

It comes after recent speculation over potential changes the government could make in the Budget to bring down the cost of providing the scheme to a growing number of eligible claimants.

The number of people with a Motability car has increased sharply in recent years, to 860,000.

Many of the cars leased by the scheme are adapted to be accessible for wheelchair users.

The increased demand is a result of more people becoming eligible for the higher-rate mobility component of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which accounts for the greater travel and transport costs experienced by disabled people and which Motability customers put towards the lease of a car under the scheme.

Higher-end vehicles account for about 50,000 of the vehicles leased by the scheme, with customers paying the additional cost for a premium vehicle using their own money.

Motability said it was "refocusing" which vehicles were available on the scheme, adding that it would "focus on vehicles that meet disabled people's needs" and are "safe, reliable and affordable to run".

As well as Mercedes and BMW, other brands being removed as part of the change include Audi, Alfa Romeo and Lexus.

The brands are no longer available to select as options on the Motability website.

But Matt Ryder, who used to work on Motability policy for the Department for Work and

Pensions, said the problems with the scheme go beyond offering premium brands.

He said the scheme, which only leases brand new cars which are replaced every three years, could become more efficient by supplying nearly-new cars instead.

"A car is not a luxury, but a brand new car is a luxury purchase," he said.

On its commitment to British-built cars, Motability said it would be working closely with manufacturers in the short term to increase the proportion of cars it leases which are made in the UK.

It wants 25% of cars on the scheme to be UK-built by 2030, up from 7% currently’.

So really this is about
1.buying British and supporting the home market and the jobs that come with that.
1.Plus an idea being floated that cars do not need to be new

Motability said the change will be made with immediate effect
see bbc news
In terms of car type that is

MOTABILITY IS A CHARITY FFS'

Just done a bit of digging. The loss of the VAT exemption will not apply to the cost of the car itself, which would have added at least a couple of thousand to the cost of the lease on even the cheapest models, in the form of a higher advance payment. The proposal now is to apply VAT to advance payments over a certain amount. This will probably end up hitting the most severely disabled because they typically need a larger vehicle or WAV to meet their needs. I think we need to wait until the budget announcement to see how this would work and whether there will be any mitigation for severely disabled people who may have no other choice.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/nov/25/rachel-reeves-expected-to-scrap-300m-in-tax-breaks-for-motability-scheme www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/nov/25/rachel-reeves-expected-to-scrap-300m-in-tax-breaks-for-motability-scheme]]]]

Thank you. Did a bit of digging and got some clarification, as per above post.

Don't think there are any 1 person cars. Luxury brands are not the only ones making bigger cars. My parents have a bigger car on the mobility scheme as they need 1. It is not a Luxury high end car

From the info given so far it seems certain cars will no longer be available at all.

They want to buy British

Yes that is one change and reason.

But of course the “luxury cars” has become the word phrase to degrade disabled people with.

It’s like “fighting age men” etc.

No one is getting a luxury car for free.

Every single person on enhanced pip receives the same payment.

Like everything in life some can afford to top up with more than others.

You can’t get PIP for substance abuse unless it’s caused an underlying disability, and even then the assessment is based on that disability, not the fact that you are an addict. And the lessee of a Motability car isn’t always the driver - they can nominate a driver of their choice.

They want to buy British

Are there any British car manufacturers left ? Do you mean cars made in the UK like Nissan ?

A bit like adding VAT to children’s private school fees then?

My adult son has epilepsy, the last thread on here about epilepsy made me cry, and I'm a tough old bird. I never realised how much hate there is, I've been used to navigating prejudice and misinformation, but the hate shocked me. Son works, studies, doesn't drive and claims nothing other than disabled student allowance - although he paid to upgrade his laptop which probably would be the equivalent of a Mercedes on this thread.

To appease those jealous ignorant people

From someone who works send im
So sorry people have been so ignorant to make you feel this way. Epilepsy is horrid and I support students intensely who have MH difficulties related to the fact seizures affect every are if their life.

10 years ago my ds was suspected to have epilepsy. Turns out he has a very rare genetic degenerative neurological condition that’s a cousin to MND.

He is becoming a paraplegic.

Yet I won’t deny the relief I felt when it wasn’t epilepsy which no one will understand without first hand experience of the illness.

I wish your ds all the luck with his studies.

I agree with this. If you can afford a massive down payment on a luxury car, you don’t need PIP. There’s a million and one other cars you can choose from. It should be means tested. There, I said it.

Would you consider £4-8k a massive down payment?

Thank you and thank you for the support you have given to students with epilepsy, good support is hard to find.
I'm so sorry your son has his own battles, life can be cruel, some people here seem oblivious to the fact that anyone's life can change in an instance.

I am so very sorry to hear about your DS. That must be utterly heartbreaking. I cannot begin to imagine.

My DS17 is Epileptic ( and Autistic/ ADHD) and suffered seizures from birth, misdiagnosed as “ night terrors”, not being diagnosed officially until he suffered a tonic-clonic seizure during an MRI scan. I weirdly felt relief at that, solely because the “ night terrors” I witnessed at night ( I slept with him for his safety) were finally diagnosed as being tonic-clonic seizures, and he was started on medication ( and emergency Midazolam). If I hadn’t had this backdrop to his diagnosis, I’m sure I would have felt just as you did. So, how devastating to be then dealt such a cruel and horrible blow.

You sound such a lovely person. I wish you and your DS every happiness that you can 💕.

To be fair, the only reason some can afford a bigger down payment on a car is because it takes so long to go through that you often end up with a large back payment which can be used as some of or all of the advanced payment.

WHY are you out in public if you are disabled.

get back home where you belong!

😂😂😂 Katie Hopkins standing up for disability rights.

For the hundredth time... MOTABILITY I S A CHARITY! It is not funded by the government/tax payer.

Even if the funding did come from the government, the individuals pay the difference with the upfront cost. The tax payer loses nothing. (But gains unlimited amounts of bitterness).

You can stamp your feet and scream "It's not fair!" as much as you like.

And fyi, I don't claim PIP. Not does anyone in my family. My DC gets DLA but lower rate mobility so we can't use the motability scheme. I bought my car myself when I was working. I've recently had to give up work because wrap-around care is non-existant for disabled secondar-age children. My username is in reference to moaning about carers allowance. I've had to swap a £50k job for £80 a week and it fucking sucks.

I still don't begrudge people who need more support than my child, getting £77 a week and paying their own money for a car.

"Once again the Government is treating the public like children, who don't know any better"

well judging by the responses on this and similar threads......

I was also not comfortable with the scheme offering premium marques.