Mobility car. Who can use it...?

Indie_Kid

grumpyofwhitecross wrote: »

So having read this post....answer me this...I have used the motability car to take my wife to have a short stay in hospital. If it cannot be used without the " nominated person " in the car..1. How am I supposed to get home ? do I leave the car in the hospital carpark until she is redy to come home ? As she is not using the car, do I need to arrange normal tax to get home ?

The disabled person doesn't have to be in the motability car. The car has to be used for the disabled persons' benefit. (whatever that may be)

exel1966

harveybobbles wrote: »

The situation:

My auntie has been awarded full DLA after sevel years of hell and a list of ailments as long as ET's phone number!

Anyway, she has placed her order for her car and is due to collect it in a few weeks time. Obviously my Uncle is going to be able to use the car too as he will be named on the insurance.

Will my Uncle be able to use the car to get to and from work?

This was a heated debate we were having the other nite and I was saying that the car is for my Auntie to use. Yes my uncle can drive it, but not to get him to and from work...

Your opinions please.

You seem to have a problem with your uncle and/or the use of the car. Why ?

They are husband and wife, a partnership. Do you really think that Motability cars are only used when the person with the disability is in it or when fetching something for that person? Motability certainley don't restrict the use in that sense.

harveybobbles

exel1966 wrote: »

You seem to have a problem with your uncle and/or the use of the car. Why ?

Do I...?! At what point did I say I had a problem...?!

harveybobbles

sox8369 wrote: »

A couple of you have mentioned that the motability insurance covers two people - but another can be added for a small charge - can anyone give me an idea of this charge please, and is it payable direct to the dealer when you collect the car ?

Two people can be put on it originally. Others can be added for £219 I think...

cyclonebri1

grumpyofwhitecross wrote: »

So having read this post....answer me this...I have used the motability car to take my wife to have a short stay in hospital. If it cannot be used without the " nominated person " in the car..1. How am I supposed to get home ? do I leave the car in the hospital carpark until she is redy to come home ? As she is not using the car, do I need to arrange normal tax to get home ?

The bottom line is...as read on an older post...common sense must prevail. If the car is our only means of transport , she is at home all day , and I need to get to work and back, then I use the car. This helps me to get home if needed urgently, and not rely on non existent public transport.

With the greatest respect the issue you quote is non existant because what you are doing is for the benefit of the dla claimant.

No one would challenge that. The other issues outlined here are very real tho'

sunnyone

pstuart wrote: »

Ooh ere, that touched a nerve, maybe you should change your medication (or even go on some). Maybe you need a pill to understand basic correct information.

1/ Charities reclaim all the VAT Motability isnt a charity, its the biggest fleet buyer in the UK!
2/ Disabled in a Maxda MX5 ?????? Why not? Or should I say you cant get one so why should anyone else get one.
3/ Bitter? Good luck to the kids, Motabilty know whats going on and that was my original point. Motability are very quick to deny claims made by people abusing the system and rightly so, many people find out to late.

Sunnyone (irony?) my original note was to help someone into the real world of Motabilty, thats all.

Motability isnt a charity but they do have a charitable arm which provides means tested grants towards some vehicles and pays for some assessments and driving lessons but the cars provided all have VAT payed on them, including the grant assissted vehicles because they dont come under the zero rated HMCE scheme because they are fleet cars and that includes the cars that would be VAT exempt if a HRMC claimant bought themselves.

Quiet_Life

sunnyone wrote: »

Motability isnt a charity but they do have a charitable arm which provides means tested grants towards some vehicles and pays for some assessments and driving lessons but the cars provided all have VAT payed on them, including the grant assissted vehicles because they dont come under the zero rated HMCE scheme because they are fleet cars and that includes the cars that would be VAT exempt if a HRMC claimant bought themselves.

From Motability's web site

Motability, the national charity (registered charity no: 299745), has overall responsibility for the Motability Scheme:

• We direct and oversee the Scheme.
• We raise funds to provide financial help to Scheme customers who would otherwise be unable to afford the type of car and any adaptations that they need.
• We administer the Government's Specialised Vehicles Fund which provides financial assistance for customers who need to travel in their wheelchairs.
• We provide technical support to customers and the adaptation and conversion industry.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

OK. Into the bearpit. Only direct personal experience can be quoted.

The tax has to be valid when the disabled person is outside the car - unless it is only used by someone completely unconnected with the disabled person (eg a relative not living in the home using it for work).

Otherwise, if I were to be dropped off somewhere in it, it would have to be abandoned outside as getting home again would presumably be for the benefit of the person dropping me off;

or I would have to travel home on the bus to get into the car to get home again, as it would be for his convenience that he drove to come and get me (at which point I would be home anyway and therefore wouldn't need to travel).

It wouldn't be valid when parked outside the front door overnight, as I wouldn't be sleeping in it.

It wouldn't be valid if he went home, despite the fact that he would be driving back in the morning to help me have a shower, and wouldn't be valid whilst I was in the shower because I wasn't in the car, and travelling those miles to heft my weight in and out is an act which would therefore be only for his convenience and pleasure?

As these are obviously impossible situations, the tax has to be valid outside the times that the disabled person's bottom is in a seat.

Having had conversations with the DVLA about this, their reply was, if the car is registered at the address of the disabled person - even if the usual driver does not live there - and the driver will be doing things for and on behalf of the disabled person, such as taking them places, getting things for them, etc, etc - then they are satisfied that the tax is valid. If he were to use it to go to and from work, their reply was, 'well, if he continues to care for you/assist you in the evenings or days off, we're not worried by him going to work in the car'. This was a privately owned vehicle.


At the same time, the insurers were happy to know and accepted that whilst the car belonged to someone living in one place, it was taxed somewhere else as that was where it would usually be.

And the Blue Badge is valid for him to park in disabled places when collecting me - not for times when he is going somewhere for my benefit, but when I am going somewhere or returning from somewhere. Also checked with the Blue Badge people.

If the tax is valid, then I can't see that having a motorbility car is wrong. The actual owning of the car bit is purely that they are accepting the income provided by DLA in payment for the lease/insurance, when the income would not ordinarily be accepted for credit reference purposes. All Motorbility need is proof of the award continuing for a set period of time, not the medical conditions or times of use.

hilstep2000

There was a letter about this in the Motability magazine. Your spouse CAN use the car for work, if they are providing the money to keep you. The disabled person doesn't even have to drive. My sister and her husband are now looking into it, as she has severe epilepsy and can't drive.

cyclonebri1

It is the tax issue that's the snag, not what the Mobility rules are.

I think the message is clear on that footing that yes a spouse can use the car to work etc, to get back from dropping of the person, to pick them up from the airport.

The tax issue affects all cars with disabled tax particularly privately owned ones.

Yes motability will say you can arrange to lend the car for a period of time whilst you are way, but that does not get around the issue of tax. That is not provided by MB, it's a tax concession to the disabled, and is strongly controlled.

There is absolutely no way that a MB car can be taxed privately to allow use by someone while the DP is away. Would you get caught?, you could especially a young driver picked up at night. I wonder if ANPR states the tax class of the vehicle?

It is possible with a private car but it's awkward.
You can either forgoe the free tax and buy your own so no issues whatsover or, and this seem the only lawfull way of doing this, you can have the free tax but when an outsider will be using the the car you could take out 6 months tax and cancel it within the 1st month so you only pay for 1 months use.

The awkward bit is that 2 discs cannot be in issue at the same time, so the original tax has to be returned before the paid for one can be purchased. That one then has to be surrended before the free tax can be applied for again.

That is not going to happen;)