Low rate mobility, entitlement to mobility car

rebecca_p

Is it true people on Low rate mobility might be able get get a mobility car if they receive low rate DLA/PIP in the future if they pay a top up? The government are in talks about it at the moment but I think it will coincide with the mobility allowance being more difficult to obtain because the criteria is being broadened. How will they implement it?

bottleofbest

There is rumours of this being put in place but AFAIK there is nothing at the moment?
Government are moving the goal posts in regarda to pip mobility 1 in regards to people with mental illness being able to mobilise. It's noworth going to say: "For reasons other than psychological distress."

rockingbilly

Put it simply, if someone in receipt of Standard rate mobility can access a Motability car the implications are enormous. They won't pay any Road Tax (currently they pay 50%), will the new rules allowing this be retrospective to when PIP started? If so people will demand a refund of the 50% Road Tax that they have paid so far.
Will they compensate those with SR Mobility for the money that they may well have paid out in having to buy their own cars?

If they want to change the rules/move the goalposts we cannot have a two tier system - those that have a SR Mobility award based on the old rules and those that have a SR Mobility award based on the new rules. Not fair, not right and discriminative.

CTcelt1988

It's perfectly fair if it happens. I'd imagine the customer will have to make up the difference. It's unfair for people who depend on their car, only to lose it mid lease due to PIP. Least this way, people will still have a car and it will cut down on the number of appeals, as people might not appeal if they still keep their car.

As for discrimination, don't talk nonsense Rockingbilly.

rebecca_p

If they go ahead with these proposals the shortfall will be £35.65 a week if a claimant is getting low rate PIP mobility. They could implement taking that out of the daily living rate. In that case do you think the insurance and tax will be thrown in like with the high mobility award?

CTcelt1988

Not sure how the insurance will work out. I'd imagine RSA will still be the insurer.

rockingbilly

CTcelt1988 wrote: »

It's perfectly fair if it happens. I'd imagine the customer will have to make up the difference. It's unfair for people who depend on their car, only to lose it mid lease due to PIP. Least this way, people will still have a car and it will cut down on the number of appeals, as people might not appeal if they still keep their car.

As for discrimination, don't talk nonsense Rockingbilly.

Of course it's not fair. If the rules are not retrospective that is a two tier system. those that were awarded SR mobility since 2013 will have lost out to those with future similar awards.
Some may well have entered into a finance agreement well in excess of the difference (ER - SR £36 a week) I have a finance agreement that costs me over £300 a month (£12,000 on finance) and that ignores the servicing costs, and insurance.
You are just as likely to lose all of the mobility element, not just the enhanced rate.
They surely cannot change the criteria midstream. They either have to keep it as before or if they do bring it in, compensate those that have paid out more than £36 a week since they were awarded SR.
In my case I receive £57 a week from DLA for the mobility element, our car costs £40 a month more just in finance payments. The car is never ours as there is a large final payment if we want to keep it hence why it has to be changed every 3 years. On top of that servicing £500, tyres £330, insurance £590 and recovery insurance £138 a year. All in all our car costs us approx. £450 a month whereas the mobility payment is £247. On the mobility scheme we would be £203 a month better off!

Tommo1980

Why are you worried, you give your DLA away.

How the hell could it be retrospective. Surely it's enough to give those in receipt of standard rate mobility the chance to take advantage of the scheme.

iammumtoone

so those that receive high level won't have to pay anything if they choose a car, as now.

those that receive low level will have to pay the difference (extra) between the amount of money they receive (or would receive if they don't want a car) and the money high level claimants would receive (if they choose the money rather than the car).

On the face of it, it seems far. However I can see this leading to even more people trying to put in false/exaggerated claims (we all know these people exist) just because they now have a chance of a car.

rockingbilly - the government change the rules/amounts for benefits for all groups all the time, its nothing new. it will always happen. When the rules change there will always be people who are worse off at least in this case it looks like most claimants will now have the chance to be better off (a rarity).

rockingbilly

iammumtoone wrote: »

so those that receive high level won't have to pay anything if they choose a car, as now.

those that receive low level will have to pay the difference (extra) between the amount of money they receive (or would receive if they don't want a car) and the money high level claimants would receive (if they choose the money rather than the car).

On the face of it, it seems far. However I can see this leading to even more people trying to put in false/exaggerated claims (we all know these people exist) just because they now have a chance of a car.

rockingbilly - the government change the rules/amounts for benefits for all groups all the time, its nothing new. it will always happen. When the rules change there will always be people who are worse off at least in this case it looks like most claimants will now have the chance to be better off (a rarity).

I feel that on balance I have to agree.
Mind you it doesn't affect me as I would not want a Motability car even though I have been awarded HRM under DLA for years - I prefer my own car instead - more choice and to be honest the cars that we have are never on the scheme.
As for PIP I'm just in the process of moving over at age 67 (68 in June). I seriously don't expect any award to be honest. The goalposts have been moved too far compared to DLA. So the question of a Motability car on SRM is not applicable in my case.
Never mind, the government have been kind to me over the years (even though I have had to fight for every penny though) so I mustn't grumble.

Mrs_Ryan

I have the option of a Motability car but OH (who is the driver, I'm not allowed to drive for medical reasons) says he doesn't want one. His car costs in total for insurance, service plan,warranty cover (inc breakdown) and finance £188 per month. For a broadly similar car (the more basic model, OH has the sports model so a higher spec) on Motability it would cost £229 plus fuel!
Sheesh- I can see now why he doesn't want one!