PIP 50% car tax reduction again!

melbury

It is time for OH to tax his car again and I just wondered if there has been any change in the way the 50% can be claimed.  For the past two years, due to so many DVLA staff working from home, we have paid the car tax in full and then applied for a 50% refund, which has taken quite a while to process.  

Has anyone applied recently and has it changed at all?  You would think by now they could have come up with a better way to deal with this.

poppy12345

Unfortunately, there's been no changes to the way you apply for this. It's still exactly the same as it was back in 2013. https://www.disabledmotoring.org/motoring/road-tax-50-reduction

melbury

poppy12345 said:

Unfortunately, there's been no changes to the way you apply for this. It's still exactly the same as it was back in 2013. https://www.disabledmotoring.org/motoring/road-tax-50-reduction

Thanks for the information.

It is such a ridiculous way of doing it, I had hoped that they might have changed it but obviously not.

So I guess it will again be a case of pay in full and then claim half back.

gbhxu

I complained when I had to keep sending everything in every year.

Their answer was that the category did not officially exist on the computer system. 

RobinHill

I am not sure that the above advice is correct. See extract and link below ...

"If you’re claiming for a vehicle for the first time, you have to claim at a Post Office. You must do this every time you change your vehicle ... a cheque or payable order (made out to ‘DVLA, Swansea’) for 50% of the full rate of car tax for the vehicle"

https://www.gov.uk/financial-help-disabled/vehicles-and-transport

gbhxu

RobinHill said:

I am not sure that the above advice is correct. See extract and link below ...

"If you’re claiming for a vehicle for the first time, you have to claim at a Post Office. You must do this every time you change your vehicle ... a cheque or payable order (made out to ‘DVLA, Swansea’) for 50% of the full rate of car tax for the vehicle"

https://www.gov.uk/financial-help-disabled/vehicles-and-transport

NO!

You have to send your documents to DVLA every year to get the half price car tax.

You use The PO the first time you claim free car tax

RobinHill

gbhxu: That's what I posted ... as per the gov page!!!

melbury

gbhxu said:

I complained when I had to keep sending everything in every year.

Their answer was that the category did not officially exist on the computer system. 

You would think that by now, especially with Covid making everything more difficult, they would have come up with a simpler way of doing it.

it is so easy for the DVLA to check through their own database if the vehicle is still registered in your name, has a current MOT, etc so I just don’t understand why they insist on you posting all of the documents every year. Surely they could also log how long your PIP award is for so you wouldn’t have to send that every year. 

poppy12345

gbhxu said:

RobinHill said:

I am not sure that the above advice is correct. See extract and link below ...

"If you’re claiming for a vehicle for the first time, you have to claim at a Post Office. You must do this every time you change your vehicle ... a cheque or payable order (made out to ‘DVLA, Swansea’) for 50% of the full rate of car tax for the vehicle"

https://www.gov.uk/financial-help-disabled/vehicles-and-transport

NO!

You have to send your documents to DVLA every year to get the half price car tax.

You use The PO the first time you claim free car tax

Indeed. The gov.uk link posted above gave details of "exemption" and 50% reduction. Two completely different things, with completey different ways of claiming them.

I claimed the 50% reduction from 2013 - 2016 and it was exactly the same back then.

M25

It's definitely a faff (and expensive with recorded delivery) but I always do it a month before it's due.

Takes 3 weeks normally even during COVID but I've had a 9 week period for them to actually cash the cheque.

No way would I pay it upfront then claim back as that's even more work for you and them.

RobinHill

It is quite clear. There was very little messing about. My partner has just done so for a service user ...

"How to claim:

If you’re claiming for a vehicle for the first time, you have to claim at a Post Office. You must do this every time you change your vehicle.

A cheque or payable order (made out to ‘DVLA, Swansea’) for 50% of the full rate of car tax for the vehicle."