Jenny So I just thought I’d write a post to talk about something that I have to try and organise over the coming year – my getting a new car through Motability.
For anybody unsure about what Motability is, the Motability website itself says:
Use your qualifying mobility allowance to lease a brand-new vehicle. We’ll cover your insurance, servicing and breakdown. You choose who drives, and we take care of the rest. We’re the service that keeps you moving.
Sounds great, doesn’t it? For me, as someone who has the full mobility element of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), it means taking the full mobility payment (£77 a week) and leasing a car with that money. Motability also offers the option to lease a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV), a mobility scooter or a powered wheelchair.
The problem is, though, that though I could lease a new car – and I have, for the past 2 1/2 years – I then have to pay for any adaptations to allow me to drive it. Adaptations such as a swivel seat to get in and hand controls to use instead of the foot pedals. And these adaptations are expensive; I’ve been quoted from £700 for the hand controls, and £1650 for a swivel seat. You can’t transfer the adaptations to your next car. In addition, most cars and all wheelchair-accessible vehicles also have “advance payments” that you need to pay before getting the vehicle and are non-refundable. The contract lasts for three years before you’re expected to move onto another car.
And there’s the rub: as a disabled person who is medically retired due to a progressive illness, how am I meant to afford an advanced payment? Especially an advanced payment for a wheelchair accessible vehicle, which is what I need now. On the Motability website, secondhand WAVs have a minimum advanced payment of £800 and they go up to £4500. Finding this kind of money every three years just isn’t something that we can do. And I’m sure a lot of families are in the same boat as we are.
And there's the rub: as a disabled person who is medically retired due to a progressive illness, how am I meant to afford an advanced payment? Especially an advanced payment for a wheelchair accessible vehicle, which is what I need… Share on XAm I missing something here? I keep hearing about how disabled people get “free” cars, but that certainly isn’t the way for me or anyone like me who needs an adapted car or a van in order to go somewhere further than their legs (or wheelchair) will take them.
So that’s my moan for today; not only do I earn less money because I can’t easily work due to my 30 years+ of MS, but I also need to be a magician to magic up the money needed every three years to be able to go places.
I would love to hear from anyone who is in the same position as me, or those who have found a way around this issue! I literally don’t know what we’re going to do in July when we need to return our current car (which, by the way, has no adaptations as they were too expensive for us to get).
Until next time
Hi,
At the moment we do not have a car. I no longer have a licence cos of double vision and my wife just lost the bottle to drive. Luckily we live in a town centre. Getting me in and out of a car is no joke, I can sort of walk but use a wheelchair as well. Thanks for the tips re Motability, what they offer is no bargain.