Moneysaving For Carers

Jo4

My husband, who is offically my carer, and I are thinking of getting a new Vauxhall and I am curently getting the high rate of Mobility but only for 2 years. Apparently in order to be eligible to take part in the mobility scheme you have to be awarded mobility for 4 years therefore can we get any help when purchasing our new car? Can anyone please advise? :-/

Fran

I would check your elligibility, as according to the following website, ideally you need to have an award for the full term of the agreement, but you may still be able to apply. Click on link - Motability

There are also contact numbers on the site which you can ring for information.

Jo4

Thanks Fran! I wonder would we be entitled to get 10% off the price of our new car? My Dla came up for renewal recently and I have been awarded it for another 2 years (From Sep 2004 to Sep 2006).

Ted_Hutchinson

My husband, who is officially my carer, and I are thinking of getting a new Vauxhall and I am currently getting the high rate of Mobility but only for 2 years.  Apparently in order to be eligible to take part in the mobility scheme you have to be awarded mobility for 4 years therefore can we get any help when purchasing our new car?  Can anyone please advise?   :-/

It is possible to get the Disability Benefit Unit to reconsider the length of the award. They are not required to alter it and of course if they do look at the award again, it is possible they could come to an entirely different conclusion, however if you know that there is absolutely no way they could come to a different conclusion about your virtual inability to walk outdoors without severe discomfort, and that the limitation to 2 years is unreasonable as there is no chance of improvement, then it is unlikely you will have a lower or no award and a good chance they will increase it to 3 years.
The link Fran gave leads to the following
A new car on a three-year contract hire lease.
A new or used car on hire purchase term, over a term of two to five years.
So it is possible to use Motability to provide the finance though using one of the loan providers listed in Martins best buys may be much cheaper.
I am certain you would have no trouble getting the 10% discount, If you are a Wheelchair user then having an adaption fitted to a new car before delivery means you wouldn't pay VAT ever on that vehicle on purchase and vat free servicing for as long as you own it. You could have a simple permanent adaptation like a swivel seat, or a hoist to help get a wheel chair in. This VAT free is separate from the Vauxhall Motability discount so you first negotiate the cheapest possible price for the car, Then you have the cheapest adaption fitted and get the VAT off, and then you ask for the Vauxhall 10% discount on top. that way by the time you get to the end of the 2 year DLA period you'll have be able to swap in for another new Vauxhall, good part exchange, another VAT exemption, another 10% discount and you may find doing this cheaper than using the Motability Lease provisions. (unfortunately the VAT exemption only works for WHEELCHAIR users)
Vauxhalls 10% discount will accept the DLA high mobility.

kabie

To get the 10% at vauxhall all I had to do was show proof of my sons DLA: I showed his order book, they were not interested in how long he would continue to get DLA all they needed to know was that at the time of ordering he was in receipt of it : he gets the lower rate.
I got the best price I could, played dealer off against dealer agreed a good part exchange deal, then at the last minute asked for my 10% off the car and factory fitted extras. The dealer doesn't absorb the discount he gets refunded by vauxhall so it shouldn't make any difference when negotiating; but I bet it would!

Jo4

Thanks for responding!  I am not a wheelchair user. Am I right in thinking that we should be entitled to the 10% discount?  Please say YES!  

Trix

This is one for disabled children and their families in the North East (may be other parts of the country but I don't know).

Max cards get you free entry into over 50 heritage attractions, museums and galleries in the North East including places like Beamish, Blue Reef (sea-life centre), Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Alnwick castle and gardens and loads more places. It also entitles you to half price swimming.

One card is given to each member of the family that has a disabled child so you don't need to have the child with you to get the free admissions and half price swimming. You can visit the places listed with the card as many times as you like. There are also eight vouchers (one covers the whole family) for free admission into some of the larger attractions.

The local authorities currently supporting the scheme are Newcastle, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Durham, Sunderland, Northumberland, Hartlepool, Redcar and Cleveland.

The cards are also available to young carers, youth offender services and looked after children (children in care).

I can't find a link to a site as such, but for the Max Card leaflet (opens in Adobe reader) click HERE

Just found as well thatLeeds, Calderdale, Wakefield, North Yorkshire, Rotherham, Bradford, Kirklees, York and Doncaster are also running the scheme. Their site is HERE

Paul_Varjak

I was a carer for my mother until she went into a nursing home. She qualified for the following benefits because she required care or because she was over a certain age:

1. ATTENDANCE ALLOWANCE (for both day and night care) and because she got this I got the CARERS ALLOWANCE.

2. Free TV licence (aged 75+).

3. Increased Tax allowance for being (aged 75+). Make sure you claim this as the Inland Revenue do not seem to give it automatically.

4. Disabled Parking pass from local Council.

5. Travel concessions on bus and rail from local Council.

6. STAYWARM for electric/gas.

7. Free wheelchair from NHS

8. Certain mobility aids from Social Services at £10 (free if on Income Support) – wheeled indoor trolley/walker, high rise chair etc, bed frames etc.

9. Meals on Wheels (chargeable).

10. Home Care (level of your payment is means-tested with our Council).

11. Free NHS chiropody.

12. Council Tax reduced by one band (even for Band A residents!)

13. Equipment Grants from local Council

14. Other financial assistance from Council – (bought door answering system).

15. Speech therapy.

16. Equipment grants from certain charities (e.g. to get speech aid)

17. Car discount schemes from some major manufacturers – I personally know of Vauxhall and Hyundai.

18. Disability registration with local Council.

19. VAT concession on adaptions for disabled people – including adaptions to vehicles.

20. Nursing care rebate whien resident in nursing home.


This is what mum could NOT get:

1. DLA Mobility component – requires disability to commence before aged sixty.

2. MOTABILITY car - requires entitlement to DLA mobility component.

3. Tickets for Humber Bridge - requires entitlement to DLA mobility component.

4. Income Support (incl. Disability Premium) – means tested!

5. Exemption from Road Tax (requires DLA mobility component or War pensioners supplement I believe). No longer available to those on Attendance Allowance.

6. Free residential care (means tested - unless you live in Scotland).

panicos_2

My son gets Middle rate DLA and Lower rate mobility because my wife and I work we do not qualify for carers allowance. Are we still entitled to the lists above my son is ADHD and looks perfectly alright its his behaviour thats the problem. To tell the truth Id hate the red face if they did'nt believe me.

Paul_Varjak

PANICOS


My understanding about Carers Allowance is that it is payable even if you both work as long as one of you provides 'care' for at least 35 hours a week.

As far as I know, you cannot add the hours together that you each put in to the care of your son since the Carers Allowance is payable to an individual and not a couple.

However, it may be that the reason Carers Allowance cannot be paid is because you are getting an 'overlapping' benefit. In this case, I understand that the higher of the two benefits would be paid.

I CAN ONLY SUGGEST THAT IF THERE IS ANYTHING IN THE LIST THAT YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BENEFIT FROM THEN MAKE CONTACT WITH THE RELEVANT AUTHORITIES, FRAN - THE FORUM MODERATOR OR YOUR LOCAL CAB.


AMEDMENT:

According to following post, it appears that I am incorrect about working and Carers Allowance. It is almost certain that it is ME WHO IS WRONG!