Mobility query can other family members HAVE the car

Dognobs

As this thread is sooooo old not much point but the whole scheme is a scam and should be scrapped! For £49 + Petrol a week I could happly run a car with no problems at all! The scheme should only be there to help people who need adaptations to cars an to help cover that cost! There are loads of council estates full on new Zafiras and Nissan Qashqai'a all with disabled tax and badges being clambed under grannys name it is a disgrase and a joke!

FBaby

I agree, it is an absolute disgrace. How many people would pay for their own car if it wasn't the fact that totally unfit for purpose scheme allow them to use a car for their own use of the pretense that they need it to care for their relative. It is in most instance an opportunistic mean to have a nice new car for free. This needs to be scrapped. DLA high mobility should pay for taxi fares for themselves, not to provide luxury transportation for the family.

kingfisherblue

If I didn't have the mobility car for my son, I would be using the payment to buy a car. He cannot get around without a car and taxis are quite expensive - especially when you have to travel to a different town for medical appointments. I live on the edge of town and to get to most appointments, it would take at leaast two buses. The same with Deaf Club and Scouts. That, of course, is assuming that there are buses available at suitable times.

I take my sons to see their grandparents on Sundays, in time for their lunch. It is two bus rides away, but buses don't start running until 2.30pm, and there is only one an hour. Also, many buses in my area are not equipped for wheelchairs. Allowing for the fact that my disabled child has a free bus pass, I would have to pay £4.20 each way (for me - no companion passes available here!), plus £2 each way for my younger son, and spend over an hour (including connection times) travelling each way. I'm not sure how much a daily ticket would be. Instead, in the car, it is 20 minutes, door to door.

I don't have a fancy car - a Nissan Note is ideal for me, as it fits my son's wheelchair in the boot, as well as any equipement he needs - and a bit of shopping too, when necessary.

I agree that the mobility scheme is abused by many, but for others, like my family, it is a godsend.

24skins

We use taxis costing around £70 a week and that is for a child who already receives transport to and from school & respite.

HRM would have to be at least doubled if it were to pay for taxis for all.

MissMoneypenny

I don't understand why the government doesn't use it's buying power to get discount. They should put out a tender for x number of cars that must be suitable for a wheelchair, in x colour and see what manufacturer comes back with the best price for the taxpayer.

FBaby

kingfisherblue wrote: »

I take my sons to see their grandparents on Sundays, in time for their lunch. It is two bus rides away, but buses don't start running until 2.30pm, and there is only one an hour.

What would you do if your child didn't have a disability? The problem would remain or are you saying that he would be able to walk all that way?

What bothers me with the scheme is that I believe a large majority of people who rely on it to have a car would have one any way, like most families do, but take advantage of the scheme to get something much luxurious for a lesser cost.

It makes a lot more sense to me that those entitled to high rate get the funds so they can opt to use the money to contribute towards travel costs for the disabled person, but pay the same as everybody else does.

Dognobs

kingfisherblue wrote: »

If I didn't have the mobility car for my son, I would be using the payment to buy a car. He cannot get around without a car and taxis are quite expensive - especially when you have to travel to a different town for medical appointments. I live on the edge of town and to get to most appointments, it would take at leaast two buses. The same with Deaf Club and Scouts. That, of course, is assuming that there are buses available at suitable times.

I take my sons to see their grandparents on Sundays, in time for their lunch. It is two bus rides away, but buses don't start running until 2.30pm, and there is only one an hour. Also, many buses in my area are not equipped for wheelchairs. Allowing for the fact that my disabled child has a free bus pass, I would have to pay £4.20 each way (for me - no companion passes available here!), plus £2 each way for my younger son, and spend over an hour (including connection times) travelling each way. I'm not sure how much a daily ticket would be. Instead, in the car, it is 20 minutes, door to door.

I don't have a fancy car - a Nissan Note is ideal for me, as it fits my son's wheelchair in the boot, as well as any equipement he needs - and a bit of shopping too, when necessary.

I agree that the mobility scheme is abused by many, but for others, like my family, it is a godsend.

I feel if you cant run a Nissan Note for £51.40 a week without petrol you need to budget better!

kingfisherblue

FBaby wrote: »

What would you do if your child didn't have a disability? The problem would remain or are you saying that he would be able to walk all that way?

What bothers me with the scheme is that I believe a large majority of people who rely on it to have a car would have one any way, like most families do, but take advantage of the scheme to get something much luxurious for a lesser cost.

It makes a lot more sense to me that those entitled to high rate get the funds so they can opt to use the money to contribute towards travel costs for the disabled person, but pay the same as everybody else does.

I would be working and therefore able to pay for a car.

kingfisherblue

Dognobs wrote: »

I feel if you cant run a Nissan Note for £51.40 a week without petrol you need to budget better!

TBH, it isn't just the cost of the car though, is it? It also includes servicing, tyres, RAC, and insurance. I haven't sat down and worked out how much it would cost if i bought a car (well, not since I first got a mobility car for my son), but I doubt if I could get a loan with being on benefits.

My point is that not everyone opts for a fancy car - I chose a Note because it is suitable for my son's needs, which is what the car is there for. Previously, I had a Punto, but had to get rid of that as it wouldn't fit his buggy in (before he had a wheelchair), and since then, a Rover. The Rover ended up needing a new head gasket and a new alternator, within weeks of my ex leaving us to start a new family elsewhere. The mobility scheme was a good alternative for me, as it is for many families.

I do disagree with people using it to get high spec cars that they don't need. I also think that there should be a limited number of models available - enough to suit different needs, but most needs could probably be covered by a much smaller range of cars than is currently available. Similar to Miss Moneypenny's idea, but slightly broader to allow for differing needs (for example, some people will need a wheelchair accessible vehicle, most don't, but might need space for a wheelchair).

sciencegeek

kingfisherblue wrote: »

TBH, it isn't just the cost of the car though, is it? It also includes servicing, tyres, RAC, and insurance. I haven't sat down and worked out how much it would cost if i bought a car (well, not since I first got a mobility car for my son), but I doubt if I could get a loan with being on benefits.

My point is that not everyone opts for a fancy car - I chose a Note because it is suitable for my son's needs, which is what the car is there for. Previously, I had a Punto, but had to get rid of that as it wouldn't fit his buggy in (before he had a wheelchair), and since then, a Rover. The Rover ended up needing a new head gasket and a new alternator, within weeks of my ex leaving us to start a new family elsewhere. The mobility scheme was a good alternative for me, as it is for many families.

I do disagree with people using it to get high spec cars that they don't need. I also think that there should be a limited number of models available - enough to suit different needs, but most needs could probably be covered by a much smaller range of cars than is currently available. Similar to Miss Moneypenny's idea, but slightly broader to allow for differing needs (for example, some people will need a wheelchair accessible vehicle, most don't, but might need space for a wheelchair).

if you make a few assumptions on costs then you might arrive at the following annual figure: insurance 700, tax 140, MOT 40, service 100, consumables such as tyres, wipers etc 400 Total excluding petrol £1380.

I dont begrudge you using the scheme at all and thankyou for selecting the most appropriate vehicle for you rather than choosing the most expensive vehicle just because you could -- but I do assume the NOTE was a NEW car? With new cars being so expensive and depreciating so rapidly I suspect many people would prefer that the scheme was arranged so that claimants were offered the choice of a travel payment or a second hand car in order to keep the costs down. This would save vast amounts of money that could be used to help more people. Newish second hand cars tend to be very reliable and good for many years.