Blue Badge Car Tax and Insurance considerations

Keruge

My brother is disabled and a named driver on his son's insurance, his son is the main driver, the car is registered at his son's address.

My brother is getting a Blue Badge as he wants to get out more which may mean moving the car to his home.

I gather that if he becomes the main "keeper" he will be entitled to a car tax concession.

The questions I have are:

1. Can my nephew remain the owner of the vehicle?
2. Will the Insurance company charge more if they swap who is main driver and named driver (my nephew is currently the main driver)?
3. If the insurance charge more how much more (My nephew has never had an accident, my brother had a smallish accident in 2019)?
4. Will the address change impact the insurance, (My nephew has his own drive, my brother has a parking space in a 20 car private car park)?
5. Is there any insurance benefit/detriment to put the car in a company name and have both drivers as named drivers?
6. Are there any other considerations or easier ways to get the car tax concession?

Thanks in advance!

Savvy_Sue

Be aware that to be eligible for the 100% car tax concession, the car will not be available to the son for his own personal use. It should only be used for the benefit of the blue badge holder. 

You may already be aware of that, and I can't answer the rest of the questions, but there's a few "it depends" in there, including anything related to insurance. You'll have to phone and ask, or do re-quotes with the different details.

Fruitcake

Keruge said:

My brother is disabled and a named driver on his son's insurance, his son is the main driver, the car is registered at his son's address.

My brother is getting a Blue Badge as he wants to get out more which may mean moving the car to his home.

I gather that if he becomes the main "keeper" he will be entitled to a car tax concession.

The questions I have are:

1. Can my nephew remain the owner of the vehicle?
2. Will the Insurance company charge more if they swap who is main driver and named driver (my nephew is currently the main driver)?
3. If the insurance charge more how much more (My nephew has never had an accident, my brother had a smallish accident in 2019)?
4. Will the address change impact the insurance, (My nephew has his own drive, my brother has a parking space in a 20 car private car park)?
5. Is there any insurance benefit/detriment to put the car in a company name and have both drivers as named drivers?
6. Are there any other considerations or easier ways to get the car tax concession?

Thanks in advance!

1 Owner and keeper are two different entities. For example, the owner can be an individual, or a lease company, or a hire purchase company, or a bank. The registered keeper is the person/company whose details are registered with the DVLA. The DVLA do not hold owner details. My wife owns a car, but I am the registered keeper, even though we live at the same address. I own my youngest son's car, but he is the registered keeper at a different address.

2 Possibly. You will need to check with the insurance company, but the premium is usually based on the main driver's details/history, and where the vehicle is kept.

3 You would have to ask the insurance company

4 Possibly/probably. The more chance of a car being damaged, for example in a car park where there are many other vehicles, the greater the probability the premium will increase. Even a change of postcode can affect insurance premiums.

5 You would have to ask the insurance company. 

6 I have no experience with this

One very important thing to note. The blue badge scheme does not apply on private land. Make sure your brother knows to check signs at private car parks because normally disabled motorists are still required to pay the full parking tariff as well as not exceeding the maximum permitted parking time, which is often less than 3 hours.

Spoonie_Turtle

Just to clarify, he will be entitled to a tax exemption/discount only if he receives a qualifying benefit

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

(I assume you probably already know that and that he probably does, but thought it worth pointing out *just* in case )

poppy12345

Savvy_Sue said:

Be aware that to be eligible for the 100% car tax concession, the car will not be available to the son for his own personal use.

This also applies to those that claim 50% reduction in road tax, if they're in receipt of standard mobility PIP. https://www.disabledmotoring.org/motoring/road-tax-50-reduction

Keruge

Thanks for feedback all, I think he is on one of those, not entirely sure so something to check.

I was very interested to see

"It must only be used for the disabled person’s personal needs. It cannot be used by the nominated driver for their own personal use"

I have a friend who used to live down the road, she turned up one day in a brand new car, she was on maternity leave, so of course I asked her "how the hell can you afford that and who the hell gave you credit".  

She said that her mum got it as she is disabled but she drives it most of the time, except when she takes her mum shopping or on a few journeys a week.  She was virtually bragging that she gets this free car, I see her at the park walking her dog even though she no longer lives in the area and she drives to our local park for the social contact.

I do not really have a problem with this, I assume her mother (who is profoundly disabled and in a bad way) is fully entitled and it may well be she is unable to drive and her daughter must be her nominated driver, so I see no harm except the mileage might be higher but that it their problem.

I think if it makes a difference to the disabled person's life, especially if it gets her out and about that is great.  I know with my brother he has been a virtual hermit, he did lockdown for years before it became fashionable!  

I can't see how the Government would be able to police the "personal needs" or "personal use" elements.

Good call on the Private Land and on the owner vs keeper.

poppy12345

Keruge said:

 

She said that her mum got it as she is disabled but she drives it most of the time, except when she takes her mum shopping or on a few journeys a week.  She was virtually bragging that she gets this free car, I see her at the park walking her dog even though she no longer lives in the area and she drives to our local park for the social contact.

If motability new exactly what's happening then they could cancel the lease agreement.

Albermarle

I can't see how the Government would be able to police the "personal needs" or "personal use" elements.

It's the same issue as insurance on any car , the main insured driver is supposed to be the main user, rather than a second named driver. Both are not easy for the DVLA or insurer to detect as you say . I think you would have to be doing something obvious like commuting to work in it every day, for there to be a chance you would be  found out.

chrisw

Keruge said:

 She was virtually bragging that she gets this free car, 

It's not a free car. If it's on motability, her mum will be forfeiting her £250 per month mobility allowance and possibly chipping in a couple of grand additional money to get a 'nice' car. It should still only be used for the benefit of the disabled person though.

A blue badge in itself doesn't qualify for tax concessions, he would have to be receiving disability benefits as well.The vehicle can be registered in the disabled person's name or a nominated driver so the son's vehicle could be changed to disabled class without having to change keeper, etc. 

It would still have to be used solely for the brothers benefit, but as you point out, this is virtually impossible to police. 

Savvy_Sue

One way 'policing' happens with insurance is after an accident. Where were you, what were you doing? Do the answers tally with actual insured use?