Email from Motability

Tally-Ho_2

dmg24 wrote: »

As Jojo was enquiring about the entitlement of DLA HRM claimants to driving lessons, I did not feel the need to repeat that criteria.

With regards to entitlement for veterans, perhaps you could ask on the Forces Moneysaving board for information about charities that may be able to provide funding?

With due respect I think you are somewhat missing the point and the wider issue.

Although the initial poster does indeed raise the matter of those over age 24 on DLA HRM, the issue does go further than just being age related.

As to looking to other charities for funding, why should any Motability customer, no matter which allowance they receive, have to? Surely every Motability customer in need of the service should have equal and just access to the funding stream specifically designed for the purpose.

Like the initial poster, I personally think denial of access to the scheme on age grounds is incorrect. I also think Peter raises an equal and valid point, which further highlights the narrowness and unfairness of the current system.

Tally

[Deleted User]

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

When looking to see about Motability vehicles, I noticed that they said driving lessons were available, which sounds very helpful. I for one never needed to learn to drive as public transport was perfectly easy to use before the various medical thingummies took hold. But I queried the bit about apparently only younger people being funded and got this reply -

Thank you your recent correspondence.

As you are aware, you do not meet the criteria to enable us to assist you towards the costs of your driving lessons.

It has been decided to target the limited funds available for driving lessons at young drivers aged between 16 and 24 years old. This is to assist young disabled people who are moving from being driven by others to driving themselves and achieving full independence.

This is in no way discriminatory; it just reflects a focused use of available resources.

We will continue to monitor the situation and if additional funds were to become available in the future then the possibility of extending driving lesson provision to others could be investigated.

Sue Quinn
Grants Advisor


So it's OK to pay for youngsters to achieve independence, but not to help someone older to avoid losing it?

I didn't need the use of a private vehicle to maintain/reach independence when I was 16 to 24. I could skip up and down the stairs on the bus, leap from trains onto uneven platforms at Clapham Junction, jog up or down the circular stairs at Camden Town Tube Station and never cared if the escaltors broke down at Embankment Tube Station, as I usually trotted up them in 4inch heels anyway. Why would I have needed a licence to drive a car I wasn't ever going to need to own?

It just seems wrong, as though I'm not worthy of assistance because I'm 37 and too old to be bothered with.


But because I'm old and past helping, I guess I deserve it for -

not having the foresight to realise that I was going to get battered by RA within a couple of years and

using the money that was obviously wasted on rent to pay for driving lessons (which would not have been used as I wouldn't have got a car). :mad:

I shall now go and drink copious quantities of tea, and consider whether I should give up now.

Back to being verbally attacked on the bus again, I suppose.

I`m sorry but the way i see it you are prepared i assume to swap your £47 per week dla mobility component for a free car but meanwhile not prepared to pay for driving lessons which will cost £80 a month or so?????
On that basis i dont think they should pay for lessons for anyone of any age.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

If it's £47 a week, it's hardly free - it's at least £188 a month. It's a contract hire, including insurance. I believe this was set up initially because it is often difficult to get car finance/hire contracts when the only income is in the form of disability benefits. I also do not suppose they make a loss on every vehicle.

If I were to have assistance with driving lessons, the cost of insuring the vehicle (included in the price) would presumably be cheaper than insuring my 17 year old to drive for me?

My annoyance is that they will happily fund younger people but won't even consider someone slightly older, purely because they are older.

And the last driving lesson I went on (4 years ago) was with the same people they use. The terms offered were a 2 hour lesson minimum, with only blocks of 20 lessons payable in advance available at £22.50 per hour. And a rule that nobody would be put in for their test until they had completed 40 hours. Meaning £180 monthly (on a four week month).

Mind you, he also went on to refuse to teach me anymore because I was unable to turn my head right over my shoulder to reverse (due to RA in my neck) but was able to reverse round a corner by using the mirrors. Apparently disabled people had no business trying to drive anyway.

Indie_Kid

woodbine wrote: »

I`m sorry but the way i see it you are prepared i assume to swap your £47 per week dla mobility component for a free car

It's hardly free - many people have to pay for adaptions to their car.

[Deleted User]

sh1305 wrote: »

It's hardly free - many people have to pay for adaptions to their car.

some do some dont,many pay for fuel only and not a single penny extra,to my way of thinking thats £47 a week well spent,but the point i was making was that driving lessons in the first place would cost alot less than that.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

woodbine wrote: »

some do some dont,many pay for fuel only and not a single penny extra,to my way of thinking thats £47 a week well spent,but the point i was making was that driving lessons in the first place would cost alot less than that.

Do you have a contact number for this driving school?

jetta_wales

Having read all of the posts I sort of find myself agreeing with all the arguments here.

Yes young people who have been dissabled all their life or from early on in life will benefit greatly from learning to drive but then this is also the age when everybody else usualy learns to drive too and they pay for it however they can.

Those on the war pension but still young maybe do have access to other funds through totaly different charities and government funding but it is certainly a valid point indeed that it excludes them also.

I do think that the mobility money would be ample to pay for taxi's to get around plus driving lessons without having to tighten your belt as much as you would have to if you were an able bodied person without the mobility money at all too.

I think concidering all points it would make more sense for them to just give funding openly untill it runs out each year, maybe have a waitting list and if you want it sooner you'll pay for it yourself.

When these kinda things come about you've got to think sure it doesn't make much sense, sure it might feel unfair but still it's not the end of the world.

Can you really absolutaly not in any way afford to take the driving lessons unless they pay for them for you? If that's not the case and I live on an extremely tight budget right now because needs must so i know it can be done, then sort it out get on with the lessons and go get your independance by yourself as all in all if it's going to mean that much to you then it will be a small price to pay.

If you catagoricaly cannot afford to take the lessons then there is a list of other charities on the motability website that you could appeal to for the money. Look at the work that they do and if you think your case is just as worthy then ask them and tell them all the details of whatever financial hardship you may be in. If they agree then I'm sure they will help you.