Motability questions

scoped1

Hi there,

I have a few questions about motability, and thought this would be the place to ask.

I use an electric wheelchair full time, I can't weight bear in the slightest, and have extremely limited upper body movement.

So at the moment I'm looking to get a driver WAV, as I may have to move out of my current house, and without one, I'd really have no real way of getting out (as I've been advised with 24 hour care it's unlikely I'll be able to get someone to be able to drive me in a normal WAV)

Looking at the motability site, the cheapest drive from WAV is £7000 advanced payment, which for me, is completely unaffordable.

We rang up motability, and talked to them about grants, but we were told, that I don't qualify for a grant, to qualify I'd need to either work, be in a full time education or "do a load of voluntary work".
I'm wondering where this leaves me, it seems like a catch 22, one of the reasons I don't do a full time course is because I don't have the ability to get to one .

I was really looking for others experience and advice really,

thanks for your time

sunnyone

scoped1 wrote: »

Hi there,

I have a few questions about motability, and thought this would be the place to ask.

I use an electric wheelchair full time, I can't weight bear in the slightest, and have extremely limited upper body movement.

So at the moment I'm looking to get a driver WAV, as I may have to move out of my current house, and without one, I'd really have no real way of getting out (as I've been advised with 24 hour care it's unlikely I'll be able to get someone to be able to drive me in a normal WAV)

Looking at the motability site, the cheapest drive from WAV is £7000 advanced payment, which for me, is completely unaffordable.

We rang up motability, and talked to them about grants, but we were told, that I don't qualify for a grant, to qualify I'd need to either work, be in a full time education or "do a load of voluntary work".
I'm wondering where this leaves me, it seems like a catch 22, one of the reasons I don't do a full time course is because I don't have the ability to get to one .

I was really looking for others experience and advice really,

thanks for your time

The grant arm of motability has a limited pot of money and they have to spend it wisely to help the most disabled people so yes you dont have a chance of a grant at present, have you looked at alternative routes?

You mention 24 hour care, is this where you now live?

Because while there have been changes due to time etc. about the welfare reform bill it is still coming and people in 24 hour care will still most likely lost their HRMC.

scoped1

The grant arm of motability has a limited pot of money and they have to spend it wisely to help the most disabled people so yes you dont have a chance of a grant at present, have you looked at alternative routes?

Not meaning to sound daft, but surely whether or not I am in education or if I work, has no bearing on how disabled I am, I mean, if I'm unable to work or go to education due to my disability, would't this make me more disabled?

I actually don't know of any other alternative routes, that's why I'm here so if anyone could suggest any, it would be massively appreciated

You mention 24 hour care, is this where you now live?

Because while there have been changes due to time etc. about the welfare reform bill it is still coming and people in 24 hour care will still most likely lost their HRMC.

I'm not in 24 hour care at the moment, and I actually haven't heard this - is this for people in residential care homes, because that isn't 'the kind of' 24 hour care I would be receiving, although I really am no expert on this subject.

thanks for your time sunnyone

take care

scoped

scoped1

Just giving this a little bump
sunnyone, you mentioned alternative routes, could you suggest any?

thanks

scoped

Richie-from-the-Boro

Because its a fund financed by the taxpayer via central government and functionally administered by Motability. They have two such funds, the other one being the ' Specialised Vehicle Fund '. Both of these funds are regulated by the rules given to them by Government. In essence within the rules if you want something £7k more than the rules allow for you can certainly have it if you can afford it without burdening the taxpayer with the extra costs.

Its a separate amount of [ ring fenced ] money to the Motability operation, but delivered by Motability to save state administration costs.

As you are a NEET you fall at the first hurdle, if you were already in education, employment or training you would have a much better chance, but would still have an uphill job securing this kind of ' rationed ' funding for the reasons sunnyone gave you.

You are as you say between a rock and a hard place, perhaps sunnyone knows of an alternative route. Best o luck.

sunnyone

scoped1 wrote: »

Just giving this a little bump
sunnyone, you mentioned alternative routes, could you suggest any?

thanks

scoped

Diffrent groups give grants to people, have you been/your family invovled with the forces?

The round table give grants and there is a thread about somewhere on this board with a comprehensive list of possible grant providers.

I bought a second hand Paravan, I cant afford the £65-£70k they are new and I cant get a grant, I need a drive from powerchair to have any independance at all and I now have the first bit of independance in years.

You can get a second hand Suzuki life for about £5K, can you not get a loan and use your mobility allowance to repay the loan?

scoped1

In essence within the rules if you want something £7k more than the rules allow for you can certainly have it if you can afford it without burdening the taxpayer with the extra costs.

But I'd literally be happy with the cheapest car that I can drive,
as I've been told that once I get 24 hour care, due to the way they work their agency staff, It'd be unlikely/impossible for me to get a carer who will be able to drive the car for me - which means I'm stuck in the house with no real way of getting anywhere

Diffrent groups give grants to people, have you been/your family invovled with the forces?

The round table give grants and there is a thread about somewhere on this board with a comprehensive list of possible grant providers.

I bought a second hand Paravan, I cant afford the £65-£70k they are new and I cant get a grant, I need a drive from powerchair to have any independance at all and I now have the first bit of independance in years.

You can get a second hand Suzuki life for about £5K, can you not get a loan and use your mobility allowance to repay the loan?

I've never been involved with the forces, nor have my immediate family.
I'll have to look in to the round table, thanks for mentioning them
If I got a second hand suzuki life - surely i would then have to get all the adaptations done to it, like hand controls etc.

thanks for your time guys, it really is appreciated

LizCK1

Not sure what your disabilty is so this may be no help at all, but some illnesses etc have support groups that can be of great help and may be able to help with some of the costs needed. My husband has MND and the local branch will always try and help with the cost of specialised equipment if they can.

scoped1

Not sure what your disabilty is so this may be no help at all, but some illnesses etc have support groups that can be of great help and may be able to help with some of the costs needed. My husband has MND and the local branch will always try and help with the cost of specialised equipment if they can.

I have spinal muscular atrophy type 3, so maybe i'll have to check that out too! thanks for the advice

starchild1972

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

Because its a fund financed by the taxpayer via central government and functionally administered by Motability. They have two such funds, the other one being the ' Specialised Vehicle Fund '. Both of these funds are regulated by the rules given to them by Government. In essence within the rules if you want something £7k more than the rules allow for you can certainly have it if you can afford it without burdening the taxpayer with the extra costs.

Its a separate amount of [ ring fenced ] money to the Motability operation, but delivered by Motability to save state administration costs.

As you are a NEET you fall at the first hurdle, if you were already in education, employment or training you would have a much better chance, but would still have an uphill job securing this kind of ' rationed ' funding for the reasons sunnyone gave you.

You are as you say between a rock and a hard place, perhaps sunnyone knows of an alternative route. Best o luck.

Actually the majoriuty of the grants are not tax payer's money, unless of course you are a tax payer running the marathon or selling raffle tickets on behalf of motability.

oh and do you know who OWNS motability?

Motability Operations is a not-for-profit company that runs the Motability Car Scheme, and more recently, the Powered Wheelchair and Scooter Scheme. The largest fleet operator in the UK and the biggest supplier of used cars to the trade, we are owned by the major banks: Barclays Bank plc, Lloyds Group plc, HSBC Bank plc and Royal Bank of Scotland plc.

The grants are supposed to be means tested, I suggest you call again and then ask for it in writing because their website says nothing about that. Especially as the woman round corner got a grant for hers and she doesn't work, neither is she a volunteer or in any training.

Richie-from-the-Boro

starchild1972 wrote: »

Actually the majoriuty of the grants are not tax payer's money, unless of course you are a tax payer running the marathon or selling raffle tickets on behalf of motability.

oh and do you know who OWNS motability?


The grants are supposed to be means tested, I suggest you call again and then ask for it in writing because their website says nothing about that. Especially as the woman round corner got a grant for hers and she doesn't work, neither is she a volunteer or in any training.

The O/P was looking for an extra £7000 advanced payment in addition to the HRM element of DLA, this money in Motability terms comes from the Specialised Vehicle Fund, not from the ' core charity ' access to this money has very restricted terms of reference and is not as the O/P hoped generally available to all.

Now where did I say Motability was funded by the taxpayers ? .. .. show me ! .. .. , I said the SVF was funded by the government on behalf of the taxpayers administered and delivered by a not~for~profit called Motability.