What expenses are disability benefits mean to cover?

Morglin

bestpud wrote: »

I have a feeling this is being looked into isn't it? I agree, the charges are way too high for these services.

Oh, is it?

Well, good - this really is ripping off those who are at their most vulnerable.:mad:

Lin

Glad

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere(please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

bestpud

Glad wrote: »

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere(please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

Again! It's been moved once already. I know it's loosley about travel but still.... lol

Cute_'n'_Quirky

If you have DLA at the higher rate and get a Motability car in lieu, there will be no money left in payment for the hospital car park.

I, for one, object to paying to go to hospital for a Consultation or out-patients appointment.

As a visitor, that is different.

Cute_'n'_Quirky

Garnet_Gem wrote: »

If I was unfortunate enough to be granted DLA I hope I would view it as a way to make life easier for me with my disablity. I would spend the money on hospital parking charges, a cleaner and a gardener and anything else that I would need to help me lead a better life. Our local hospital doesn't charge so the car park is full by 8:30am. One of the staff told me that at least 50 percent of the cars belong to people who work in the town and don't have any reason to use the car park other than it's free all day for them.

As I said, if you get DLA, as I do, and exchange the DLA for a Motability car then there is no money left over.

Just how much do you think that we get?

Since it is only just over £43 per week anyway, it doesn't go far for all the things you would spend it on.

My Incapacity Benefit went up by just over £10 - which reduced my Income Support by the same amount, so I am no better off.

bestpud

I'm not sure how the motability scheme works altogether, but I gather it is a 'fairly' cheap way to get a fully serviced and regularly updated car?

Could it be argued, therefore, that the money which would otherwise be funding a car can be used to pay for parking at hospitals.

Not that I think anyone should pay, because they shouldn't. As I've already said, I'm a bit fed up of hearing about one group all the time, when hospital parking affects most people at some time. I think people should be protesting from all angles, not just a disability one.

Does that make sense? I am not saying people with disbilities are lucky, or given unwarranted freebies etc!!! Just want to make that clear!

Hapless_2

bestpud wrote: »

I'm not sure how the motability scheme works altogether, but I gather it is a 'fairly' cheap way to get a fully serviced and regularly updated car?

Well as long as you only need a small car and not a bigger car with adaptions as you have to pay an advance payment (from £100-£10,000 depending on vehicle), pay for any adaptions to be fitted, pay for any extras like a tow bar, even if it is essential for you. I do wish people wouldn't call it a "fairly cheap" or "free car". As a rule ALL your DLA motability (£178 a month) then when the end of the 3 yrs comes, if you have done more than 45,000 you have to pay per mile extra. Then it's not just a swap, its another agreement with another advanced payment if you are after another brand new car. Since we took our agreement out last year, there has been 2 or 3 T& C changes so we will NOT be doing it again. The biggest hassle was actually getting to the dealers as although the DLA is mine, I can't drive but I still had to be there to pick the car up, 4 kids (1 of whom was terrified of buses), 2 adults (me unable to get on the bus properly) had to take 2 buses to pick it up.
Yes you get car, servicing etc, but we have since worked out that it would be cheaper to not go for a motability car because we now can't afford to put the fuel in!
And I do wish they wouldn't keep expecting me to buy raffle tickets!

bestpud

I did say I wasn't sure how the motability scheme works.

I think it is fairly cheap (if you don't have to pay for any of the extras you've mentioned). 15000 miles a year is quite generous I would say too. We increased our mileage by around 5000 a year when I started uni and we had to pay extra insurance for that as it is deemed higher than average.

I can see the scheme is not better for everyone though, so thanks for clarifying that for me.

I would have thought they should provide any adaptations in with the monthly cost - it seems unfair to make people pay lump sums for this.

lil_me

I think it's shocking that they charge full stop for hospital parking. I know the land of one near me, the people who run the car park are charged a tiny rent for and the charges for parking are huge. Of course if everyone has to pay then they should all, I doubt anyone would be happy that they are paying for someone else to be able to park.

DLA mobility lease schemes are all well and good until something goes wrong, for exampe a review is done and the rate of DLA is dropped, then the user has to fork out the £178 a month or return the vehicle until appeal is done, that is if they are successful.

We of course don't receive higher rate mobility for my oldest who has Autism so don't qualify for the scheme anyway. My sons DLA payments help fund transport to activities and appointments, activities costs, supplies for things like bedding etc which he goes through a lot of, dietary needs which have changed GF, CF etc etc. Then I suppose there is what he damages but that's of course just one of those things that happen sometimes.

Cute_'n'_Quirky

bestpud wrote: »

I'm not sure how the motability scheme works altogether, but I gather it is a 'fairly' cheap way to get a fully serviced and regularly updated car?

Could it be argued, therefore, that the money which would otherwise be funding a car can be used to pay for parking at hospitals.

Not that I think anyone should pay, because they shouldn't. As I've already said, I'm a bit fed up of hearing about one group all the time, when hospital parking affects most people at some time. I think people should be protesting from all angles, not just a disability one.

Does that make sense? I am not saying people with disbilities are lucky, or given unwarranted freebies etc!!! Just want to make that clear!

The Motability Scheme pays for everything for my car except the petrol.

The hospital I attend on a very frequent basis is 21 miles each way for me. 42 miles return on an automatic vehicle (due to disability) which does 26 miles to the gallon.

I have £82 per week to live on, Incapacity Benefit and Income Support.

I fail to see how I am also supposed to be able to pay over £1 an hour for parking at the hospital. I went on Tuesday, arrived at 4pm for an appointment at 4.30pm, I left the hospital at 6.45pm because the Consultant was running late. That is 3 hours of parking. Fortunately I managed to get a disabled park and didn't have to pay.

Folks here come out with these statements about how well off we are having a Motability car, etc and haven't got a clue what they are talking about.