ENHANCED MOBILITY - VEHICLE TAX HELP

[Frazzledbutcalm]

Dd aged 16 has been moved from DLA to PIP. To my utter disbelief she has been awarded enhanced care and enhanced mobility. My disbelief is that we didn’t have to fight to get what I believe is the correct award.

She turned 16 last June and the PIP application went in then. It has taken until now for them to make the award. The award is from mid January when they sorted it rather than when she turned 16 and made the application. But hey ho, I’m not going to argue that, for fear of having her award taken away!

My question is about free vehicle tax. In with her award was a leaflet about free vehicle tax. We’ve just been sent our car tax renewal which runs out end of this month. I’ve looked online as to how to claim the free vehicle tax - I think it’s all a bit ambiguous. Does anyone know if I can claim the free tax? Sites imply that the vehicle getting the free tax must be used solely for the person awarded the PIP, no personal use for the nominated driver. Does this mean as her mum, I can’t get the free tax as I would also be using my car for my own use and not 100% for my dd?

This site says the vehicle must only ever be used for the disabled person, you can't use it solely for yourself.

www.disabledmotoring.org/motoring/road-tax-exemption

"To claim the exemption or reduction the vehicle must be :
Registered in the disabled person’s name or their nominated driver’s name.
It must be only be used for the disabled person’s personal needs. That means the vehicle can’t be used by the nominated driver for their own personal use
You can only have one vehicle tax exemption or reduction at any one time."

Does she already have a Blue Badge? Enhanced rate PIP is often an automatic entitlement to a Blue Badge.

Does this mean as her mum, I can’t get the free tax as I would also be using my car for my own use and not 100% for my dd?

It means you can't get the free tax.

DD lives here and can't be left on her own, so if we go out, we always go together, we claim the free tax because of that. If she was able to be left and I could go out on my own, we wouldn't be able to claim it.

Thanks blank ...

I think it’s open to interpretation .... I can’t imagine any person who only uses their vehicle for the sole use of the disabled person. So, I use mine for dd but also I do other things, as I imagine all other people would. So, my dd could stay home with her dad and I could do a school run for my ds, or take another family member somewhere, or do the food shopping. I think it’s very ambiguous .... so do you absolutely never ever use your vehicle other than for your dd? So you never pop to see a friend, take an animal to the vets, nip out shopping on your own etc?

I’m not being goady, I’m genuinely trying to understand how they can define a vehicle as only being used 100% for a persons needs and no other activity whatsoever. And also how they’d know/police that tbh. Surely, daily life always means there’s always something to do for someone other than the disable person?

I haven’t applied for the tax because of these reasons. I’m genuinely confused.

so do you absolutely never ever use your vehicle other than for your dd? So you never pop to see a friend, take an animal to the vets, nip out shopping on your own etc?

No, I don't. Since her dad died a few years ago, there are just the two of us and we use my old banger. DD is adult, has ASD and several co-morbids and cannot cope with being alone in the house even for a few minutes, can't answer the door, can't answer the phone, so wherever we go, we go together and if she's not up to going out somewhere (fortunately rarely) then we don't go.
She was awarded enhanced rates of both on DLA to PIP transfer which was around a couple of years ago. I'd never even heard of the free road tax until we received the paperwork after the Tribunal judgement.

I was surprised that the free road tax could be used on an ordinary vehicle, I thought initially it would only apply to a motability vehicle, then it would be more "evident" that it was only to be used for the disabled person under the same rules that every trip has to be for the benefit of the disabled person.

Thanks blank. I’m sorry for your loss

I had no idea about free tax until it was put in with dd’s PIP award. But in reality I think it won’t apply to most people, yet I imagine most people will still apply, and get it.

Thank-you

I didn't know anything about it either, like you it was in the PIP paperwork.

Re people using the free RT for their family car and other errands etc. which they shouldn't do, what would happen if they had an accident and the disabled person wasn't in the car? Would it invalidate their insurance?

Yeh this is where it’s a very grey area ... ironic given that ours live in a black and white world

It could be argued that the driver was running an errand for the disabled person ... the notes say using the car to pick up prescriptions etc, not actually have the person with them, just doing errands for them. That’s why I think it’s very ambiguous.

Also, would insurance even take into account the disabled tax? I’m not sure they would. It’s all just too grey for my liking!

Maybe write to them and ask for clarification, then you can let us all know