Pro's Con's for a Mobility Car

atlantis187

My son has been awarded higher rate mobility and as such we can go for a mobility car for him.
We currently already have decent newish cars in the house and was wondering what are people opinions for going for one or not.

Spoonie_Turtle

Depends if it's worth giving up the mobility component for minimum 3yrs, whether your son needs anything that your current vehicles don't provide, and whether a car that would be used solely for his benefit would be helpful.

If you decide not to go for a motability car, one of your current cars can be exempt from tax if it's used only for his benefit https://www.gov.uk/financial-help-disabled/vehicles-and-transport

Off the top of my head -
Pros: no insurance cost, no tax, no MOT, no servicing costs (I believe), you only pay for fuel or electricity to charge it, helpful if he needs adaptations to drive.

Cons: expensive (plus upfront payments, not just the ongoing cost of the mobility component), if his PIP is denied upon review then you'll lose the car, can only be used for his benefit, there's a mileage limit.


Personally if I were well enough to drive, or even well enough to go out a couple of times a week, I would have considered it.  But I've never liked the idea of paying for something in installments and especially when it's for something I won't even own at the end, I always buy outright where that's an option.

However other people find the convenience of it to be worth the cost, particularly if they are already leasing or considering leasing a car (or just have a higher budget for cars than I've ever had!).  And for most people who need extensive adaptations it is by far the most economical option.

poppy12345

It's not always more expensive, it depends on the make, model and spec of vehicle. You would need to look at how much your current vehicle costs per year for everything and then compare it with Motability. If you already have "newish cars" would it be worth having a Motability car? especially if you're still paying for your current vehicle. 

The cons,  if the mobility part isn't awarded at review then you would need to return the vehicle. Not forgetting only being able to use it for his purpose, as Spoonie noted above but motability maybe more lenient than you think, you would need to ring them to ask. 

I've been with Motability since 2016 and it works very well for me. The peace of mind that everything is included (apart from fuel) is worth everything for me. 

Another plus side, is he going to be learning to drive? Motability have grants that will help with the cost of those and with the cost of driving lessons these days high, that is worth its weight in gold. The cost of the tests are not included. It would be up to 40 hours but can be extended to up to 50 hours, in exceptional circumstances. He would need to be a Motability customer for this and expect delivery of vehicle within the next 4 months. 

LinLui

I was in a similar position (although it was my PIP not a childs) with a good newish car when I got my award. I kept that car and just claimed the road tax until the point in time when I would have been looking to get a new car, and then switched to a motability car. So it isn't a case of either/or - you can simply delay the decision if you want to and see how things go. By the time you are looking to get a new car, you will have had more time to weigh the options. You can opt into the motability scheme at any time.

fatbelly

It's an excellent scheme and it is astonishing (as a bit of a car buff) what you can get for zero additional contribution

elsien

Is your son likely to be moving out at any point? I’m aware of people who had a mobility car while living with parents, but when they moved into supported living because they could use public transport and the occasional taxi, keeping the mobility  car just made their budget too tight for  the other things that they wanted to do.
That’s obviously depends on individual need, but it’s still a factor. Sometimes convenience is not affordable. 

Albermarle

atlantis187 said:

My son has been awarded higher rate mobility and as such we can go for a mobility car for him.
We currently already have decent newish cars in the house and was wondering what are people opinions for going for one or not.

What are his needs? Can he get into and/or drive a normal car? Or will he need something that is adapted for wheelchairs for example? If it is the former then would seem better for him to just use one of your cars and keep the money.

Motability is effectively a not for profit leasing scheme, so for a similar sort of car it should cost a bit less than leasing privately. However another option is to keep the money ( £650 ) and buy second hand.

poppy12345

Albermarle said:

atlantis187 said:

My son has been awarded higher rate mobility and as such we can go for a mobility car for him.
We currently already have decent newish cars in the house and was wondering what are people opinions for going for one or not.

 However another option is to keep the money ( £650 ) and buy second hand.

That's not how much it would be every 4 weeks. Enhanced mobility is £75.75/week (£303/ 4 weekly) and this is how much your PIP would be reduced by. There are some vehicles which as a little less than the weekly rate but not many. 

Albermarle

poppy12345 said:

Albermarle said:

atlantis187 said:

My son has been awarded higher rate mobility and as such we can go for a mobility car for him.
We currently already have decent newish cars in the house and was wondering what are people opinions for going for one or not.

 However another option is to keep the money ( £650 ) and buy second hand.

That's not how much it would be every 4 weeks. Enhanced mobility is £75.75/week (£303/ 4 weekly) and this is how much your PIP would be reduced by. There are some vehicles which as a little less than the weekly rate but not many. 

Yes you are right. I think £650 ( approx) is the total you get if you are on the top rate, including the enhanced mobility .

poppy12345

Due to the annual increase the Enhanced for both parts is now £737.20 every 4 weeks. Enhanced daily living £108.55/week and Enhanced mobility is £75.75/week. 

MouldyOldDough

Spoonie_Turtle said:

Depends if it's worth giving up the mobility component for minimum 3yrs, whether your son needs anything that your current vehicles don't provide, and whether a car that would be used solely for his benefit would be helpful.

If you decide not to go for a motability car, one of your current cars can be exempt from tax if it's used only for his benefit https://www.gov.uk/financial-help-disabled/vehicles-and-transport

Off the top of my head -
Pros: no insurance cost, no tax, no MOT, no servicing costs (I believe), you only pay for fuel or electricity to charge it, helpful if he needs adaptations to drive.

Cons: expensive (plus upfront payments, not just the ongoing cost of the mobility component), if his PIP is denied upon review then you'll lose the car, can only be used for his benefit, there's a mileage limit.


Personally if I were well enough to drive, or even well enough to go out a couple of times a week, I would have considered it.  But I've never liked the idea of paying for something in installments and especially when it's for something I won't even own at the end, I always buy outright where that's an option.

However other people find the convenience of it to be worth the cost, particularly if they are already leasing or considering leasing a car (or just have a higher budget for cars than I've ever had!).  And for most people who need extensive adaptations it is by far the most economical option.

You forgot a major Pro - peace of mind, knowing that everything is covered - no worries about costs in breaking down, even replacement tyres, windscreen, servicing costs etc etc - ALL that you have to pay for is fuel !