Nan's Car Stolen Xmas Eve and is disabled!

Scousebird_2

Hi guys

I was just looking for some advice. My Nan sufferes from severe arthritis, heart problems, gout and problems Osteomyelitis (spinal problems) and cannot get around or walk very far without being in extreme pain and is on painkillers permenently to have a decent quality of life. She is fighting to keep mobile is dependent on her car (which my Grandad drives as she can't really utilise her grasp/fine motor skills very well. eg flicking the indicator and getting the gearstick into the correct gear, releasing the handbrake etc.

On Xmas Eve, she was putting the kids to bed (she has legally become a special guardian to my teenage brother and sister because my Mum is an alcoholic and neglected them so Nan took them on with Grandad so they didn't go into care). Just when we were set to have our first family xmas in years without upset and where the kids could really enjoy it, some little swines nicked the car off the drive and we've not seen it since.

She may not get any sense from the insurers for sometime and is therefore confined to home and is unable to do any shopping or even get the bank for money and until she has the car back (which is looking unlikely) the insurers won't even give her a hire car. Her blue badge was in the car as well and that's been stolen too.

I was wondering if she could qualify for the Motorbility Scheme due to her circumstances. She is in reciept of Middle Rate DLA but I am unsure of what the component relating to mobility is rated as.

I have looked on the Motorbility website but I wondered if anyone else gets Middle Rate DLA and uses the scheme. It's just somewhere to start, to help her really.

Thanks for your help in advance xx

elsien

I'm fairly sure that you need to be on the higher rate mobility component of DLA to qualify for motability, but if your nan has a blue badge she's probably on that anyway. I don't think the care component comes into it at all.

http://www.motabilitycarscheme.co.uk/main.cfm?Type=AIE&Source=CHSW

I don't really know much about how motability works but I don't think it's a quick process. Does her insurance cover a replacement car at all, in the meantime? She can request a replacement blue badge from the council as well.
Have you seen this page on the motability site?
http://www.motabilitycarscheme.co.uk/main.cfm?Type=CHTJ

anmarj

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/MotoringAndTransport/Yourvehicleandlicence/DG_10028000

here is the link, you do have to be on the High rate mobility to qualify

Elsien - as far as I am aware you do not even have to have DLA to qualify for the blue badge, but the OP did state that her nan is on Middle rate

elsien

The middle rate is for care - the mobility component only has the high and low rates.

Scousebird_2

elsien wrote: »

The middle rate is for care - the mobility component only has the high and low rates.

I has a feeling this may be the case, think she is gonna check her papers after the hols. Thankyou so much for your advice guys xx

Peanuckle

just remember that she won't get the car for nothing, it is in exchange for the mobility component of her DLA so her money coming in will drop if she decides to get a car through motability