Disabled road tax

naf123

Both my wife and myself have disability (standard mobility)

As I understand we are both able to get 50% road tax off. 

However, we share the same car. If the car is my name, I can get the 50% off tax but then she cannot drive it? Even though she is also eligible to the same 50% off tax? 

elsien

She can drive it but only if it's for supporting to meet your needs, not for her own personal use. That's my understanding anyway. 

naf123

elsien said:

She can drive it but only if it's for supporting to meet your needs, not for her own personal use. That's my understanding anyway. 

thanks , even though she can also apply for it herself!?

elsien

She can't apply for it herself though because it's only one discount per car and you've already applied.
However if you want to check then you could try the DVLA webchat. 

Muskey

If she applies for the tax discount, then you can only drive the car for her purposes, just like she can only drive it for your purposes if you hold the tax discount.

marcia_

naf123 said:

elsien said:

She can drive it but only if it's for supporting to meet your needs, not for her own personal use. That's my understanding anyway. 

thanks , even though she can also apply for it herself!?

 Yup if she wants to benefit of driving without or for you she would need to get her own car 

chrisw

The above advice is correct. However, in practice, it's not really an issue. Virtually all car journeys in a couple can be argued as benefitting each other. She might be using the car to get shopping for you or simply going out to give you a break. And vice versa. There are no checks.

HillStreetBlues

chrisw said:

The above advice is correct. However, in practice, it's not really an issue. Virtually all car journeys in a couple can be argued as benefitting each other. She might be using the car to get shopping for you or simply going out to give you a break. And vice versa. There are no checks.

Also for a CPS to prosecute it has to be in the public interest, and having the wrong disabled person driving I can't see it meeting that threshold.

unforeseen

CPS wouldn't initially be involved. It would be a FPN and the car impounded.
This situation appeared on one of the carious police shows on TV a while back

born_again

ANPR will show car as being taxed. So it would require something more serious & being stopped by a physical police officer.
Who may then question the driver. But does the system that they would check show actually that 50% VED is applied? Even if it did it is a simply case of them saying I'm shopping for said person & that should be the end of it.