Disabled Car Scheme

smallzoo2

First, some facts..

I am self employed, work from home and my gross earnings are about £25k. I am married with three teenage children who live with us. Including our mortgage, bills etc we have no spare income. After my dad died we moved my Mum in who is 94 into our home. We converted the garage and despite the downs there are more ups for the family.

I take her our every day for a coffee and 2 or 3 times a week shopping. I clean her house very day, do all her washing and any other needs ( she has poor sight, slightly incontinent and poor memory ).

As we dont have any spare income I ended up buying an old van for £500 as my wife uses the main car. A number of people have said to me that as I drive her all the time ( she has a blue badge ) I should be entitled to some sort of car.

This is were I moan, I see so many people on these disabled car schemes that are clearly not as needy as my mum or even disabled but I cant get help

Does I have any rights at all to transport. I dont care what it is just a more modern comfy car for her.

Thanks

mellymoo74

Motobility is linked to disability benefits, if we is over 65 she won't get PIP would be worth doing a check on turn2us.

calleyw

Most people seem to have no idea how the Motobility scheme works.

Its not a free car. You exchange your Mobility part of DLA/PIP for the car.

You mother is over 65 so she is not able to claim either. Is she not contributing towards the household bills in someway?

Seeing as you admit money is tight could your wife not work even part time to help out. Unless the reason your wife does not work is because of your mother.

Yours

Calley

ripplyuk

Is your mum claiming attendance allowance? It sounds like she may be entitled to it.

smallzoo2

Not sure..will have to check

I guess due to my choice of caring for her ( which I dont regret at all ) financially we are hit just like many thousand carers in the country

Mojisola

Your Mum should be getting her pension plus AA - isn't she using any of that money to pay towards the household bills and care provided?

calleyw

smallzoo2 wrote: »

Not sure..will have to check

I guess due to my choice of caring for her ( which I dont regret at all ) financially we are hit just like many thousand carers in the country

A carer may have given up a well paid job in exchange for £60 a week and maybe help with rent and council tax if they live alone.

£25K a year is not small change. Plus you are getting Child benefit? You have not explained why/if your wife is not working if you are self employed to stay at home to keep an eye on your mother?

If you mother was in a care home she would only be allowed to keep £23 ish a week of her pension and AA for her own needs.

So you need to look at having your mother pay something towards housekeeping. And possibly your wife going out to work. Do you really need to take your mother out everyday for coffee or shopping up to 3 times a weeks? If she was in a care home she would not be getting out that much.

Yours

Calley

theoretica

I am puzzled where the point about his wife not working came from? I assumed she was, and used the main car for commuting.

calleyw

theoretica wrote: »

I am puzzled where the point about his wife not working came from? I assumed she was, and used the main car for commuting.

Thats what I trying to work out. Because all he says is about his wage of 25K and mentions no other income. And says they are struggling.

If you are married and working then you are unit and surely he would have said the household income was X. not my wages are gross £25K. That is why I have asked about if his wife is working. As he says she uses the main car.

As a married couple you are treated a a family unit. And if they have choose not to ask for some money from his mother and they are struggling then that is up to them. And need to find the income for the extra costs for another car from their own pocket and not expect other people to be funding it.

His mother goes out more than I do and sure more than lot of people I know who work or don't. My mum is lucky to go out twice a week. And then thats to do shopping and not social things.

Yours

Calley

Anoneemoose

[/B]

smallzoo2 wrote: »

First, some facts..

I am self employed, work from home and my gross earnings are about £25k. I am married with three teenage children who live with us. Including our mortgage, bills etc we have no spare income. After my dad died we moved my Mum in who is 94 into our home. We converted the garage and despite the downs there are more ups for the family.

I take her our every day for a coffee and 2 or 3 times a week shopping. I clean her house very day, do all her washing and any other needs ( she has poor sight, slightly incontinent and poor memory ).

As we dont have any spare income I ended up buying an old van for £500 as my wife uses the main car. A number of people have said to me that as I drive her all the time ( she has a blue badge ) I should be entitled to some sort of car.

This is were I moan, I see so many people on these disabled car schemes that are clearly not as needy as my mum or even disabled but I cant get help

Does I have any rights at all to transport. I dont care what it is just a more modern comfy car for her.

Thanks

I can't offer advice but please do not 'moan' about this. You do not know about the lives of others. I have a blue badge and on some days, you would look at me and think I was 'ok'..you may see me walking a short distance to the school run, or into the supermarket. What you wouldn't see is the pain I am in when doing that, nor the o payback effect that doing those thing has on the rest of the day/week/month.

maman

I'm confused too.

OP, why does your wife need a car while you take your elderly mum out in an old van? If your mum lives with you in your converted garage, why are you cleaning her house?

If she has a house of her own, who lives there?