Motability v own car

Smogboy · 8 May 2018 at 4:22PM

Bit of a predicament and getting lost in the fog of it all.

I'm 40 this year I learned to drive in 1996 was test ready but joined the army prior to my test date. I then rebooked it 1997 and due to an injury I got moved to a different company withing battalion and went on tour for 6 months again missing the test.

I never bothered to rebook as never really had the need until now (test on friday coming). My daughter is disabled and the best school for her is 10 mile away, she doesn't respond well to other people, buses etc so utilising taxis and buses is not an option.

She has higher rate care and mobikity.

The predicament I have is that she is going to need a car for life and whilst motability seems a good short term option does it make sense long term.

I have a 08 zafira 1.6 that my brother kindly gave me had been well kept with 80k on the clock and have been driving that (with proper supervision) practicing for my test but it's started developing a few issues like electrics cutting out randomly, not going into 1st sometimes etc car with spanner light is on but pedal test reveals no codes.

Have it booked in for a service tomorrow and have a feeling going to be a lot wrong with it.

Insurance is presently costing 1100 but will rise to 1300 once passed.

I guess my gut is telling me that average cost for these first few years using this car is going to be around 2-2.5k tax insurance mot work needed etc

Which pretty much is the entire mobility component cost. But it builds me some history as a driver hopefully some no claims etc then costs of running would come tumbling down a bit allowing to save towards a more recent used car. And leaving some budget to put towards other things she needs.

The other option is motability but requiring a 7 seater that's the whole allowance gone and feels like it would trap me in for life never getting into a position where could save for own car.

Way I see things is years 1-5 regardless of how I do it is going to swallow the whole allowance.

But post year 5 should only cost around half the allowance if don't use the scheme allowing some remaining budget for other things she needs Eg wetroom (have been fighting a year for a wetroom with local authority)

Anyone been in a similar situation before and what did you do ?

missile · 8 May 2018 at 5:03PM

For most, I would suggest it is cheaper to buy a car and pocket the DLA.

In your case it would seem to be better to arrange motability car where insurance is included.

Obviously a new car should be more reliable than your Zafira.

Do you really need a seven seater?

https://www.motability.co.uk/about-the-scheme/why-join/whats-included/

Smogboy · 8 May 2018 at 6:41PM

Unfortunately yeah need a 7 seater if want to use it for the family rather than just the school run.

4 kids had we known number 3 was to be how she is we wouldn't have had a 4th alas she was a perfectly healthy kid until a ear infection at 18 month then subsequent infections at 2 and 3.

Brain of a 10 month old in a 4 year olds body, no form of communication and a right leg that doesn't work. Professor who's in charge of care believes it's mitochondrial disease (he's Europe's leader in MD so trust his judgement) awaiting a date for her to be put to sleep for MRI, spinal, blds so can diagnose the strain.

Robisere · 8 May 2018 at 7:17PM

Go to the Motability website, check out this and other pages:

https://www.motability.co.uk/cars-scooters-and-powerchairs/search/vauxhall-zafira-tourer-sri-nav-723046?searchPageFilters=%26amp%3bResultsView%3dgrid%26amp%3bPageNumber%3d4%26amp%3bResultsPerPage%3d9%26amp%3bSortBy%3dadvpayLow%26amp%3bweb_transmission%3dManual%2cSemi-Automatic%2cAutomatic%26amp%3bweb_car_type%3dMPVs%26amp%3ballowance_type%3ddla%26amp%3bsubType%3d1%26&allowance_type=DLA&StartRow=28&EndRow=36

With Motability for life, you get a letter of proof. This means you get free road tax, free insurance, free servicing, free accident/breakdown RAC cover and as many tyres as you need in 3 years. For me it's a no-brainer, and before my injuries and disabilty I was a workshop foreman, used to my own cars. A new car every 3 years and you can visit Motablity dealerships to road test as many as you like until you make a choice.

sevenhills · 8 May 2018 at 8:45PM

Robisere wrote: »

With Motability for life, you get a letter of proof. This means you get free road tax, free insurance, free servicing, free accident/breakdown RAC cover and as many tyres as you need in 3 years. For me it's a no-brainer, and before my injuries and disabilty I was a workshop foreman, used to my own cars. A new car every 3 years and you can visit Motablity dealerships to road test as many as you like until you make a choice.

I am guessing road tax would be free if the OP used his own car. The issue would be the expensive insurance for the first few years.
When I got back into driving the first years insurance cost around £750
Motobility is just less than £3120 per year, my years motoring will certainly cost much less than that, including the cost of the car, even adding £1000 of insurance payments.

Robisere · 8 May 2018 at 9:52PM

Think about getting a Blue Badge too, in your daughter's name. Contact your local council, or find it online:
https://www.gov.uk/apply-blue-badge

Providing your daughter is being carried in the car, the badge can be used in any car that she travels in. I was recently hospitalised for a serious operation and my son drove my car 40+ miles to bring my wife and family. He is a named driver on my Motability insurance (a maximum of two named drivers) and my wife also has indefinite Motability DLA, but cannot drive. My wife's badge was used for shopping with other family, whilst I recovered. There is a lot more to Motability and the Blue Badge, than just a car.

Robisere · 8 May 2018 at 10:15PM

sevenhills wrote: »

I am guessing road tax would be free if the OP used his own car. (NO! and you can no longer buy a new or second-hand car under Motability) -

https://www.motability.co.uk/contact-and-support/faqs/can-i-get-a-car-through-hire-purchase

The issue would be the expensive insurance for the first few years.
When I got back into driving the first years insurance cost around £750
Motobility is just less than £3120 per year, my years motoring will certainly cost much less than that, including the cost of the car, even adding £1000 of insurance payments.

Interested in how you calculate that: is that the basic payment, without a deposit? That works out to £9,360 over 3 years. So tell me how I got my Tucson 1.7 crdi, with an Advance Payment of £899? It was £25,000+ OTR, brand new. That represents a difference of around £15,000, taking the AP into account.

Due to recent operations for OH and myself, we cannot enter and exit the car comfortably. Motability are allowing us to cancel the Tucson and lease a smaller i20X 1.6, which is £17,000+ OTR brand new. Still more than £9,360 of course.

We are paying an Advance Payment of £349 and will receive a refund of the difference in AP's, but also have to pay an Admin Fee of £250, which I am more than happy to pay.

I repeat: Insurance, road tax, servicing, tyres, accident/breakdown cover, all free, and a new car every 3 years. That gives ample time to put something away every month, to allow for a future without a Motability car. And Motability's insurer RSA can be contacted to ask about a discount for ex- users. Get the facts, contact the Motability website and phone them. Their operatives are knowledgeable and friendly.

EDIT: payments are (£59.75/week, which works out at £3107 anually. Just discovered that.

knightstyle · 9 May 2018 at 5:14AM

Don't forget you can only use Motability car for the disabled persons benefit!
No using it for your personal running around.
"The car is used by, or for the benefit of, the disabled person. This does not mean that the disabled person needs to be in the car for every journey. In practice, this means other named drivers in the household can use the car for shopping and other routine activities, as long as the disabled customer will benefit"

Herzlos · 9 May 2018 at 8:03AM

I think a family car for a family with a kid with a disability would count.
The rule is to prevent someone getting a mobility car because their gran that never goes out has a disability.

Joe_Horner · 9 May 2018 at 8:11AM

Herzlos wrote: »

I think a family car for a family with a kid with a disability would count.
The rule is to prevent someone getting a mobility car because their gran that never goes out has a disability.

Yes it does count - otherwise it'd make a nonsense of the scheme.

"You can have a Motability car but you need another one for the rest of the family, so you already have a car so you don't need the Motability one" just doesn't make sense!

[Deleted User] · 9 May 2018 at 10:40AM

Smogboy wrote: »

Bit of a predicament and getting lost in the fog of it all.

Anyone been in a similar situation before and what did you do ?

Sorry to hear about your daughter, that must be hard.

In your situation I'd say it's definitely a no-brainer (as already said).

The usual problem with Motability is what happens if it's taken away as we had this problem once. We buy our cars outright now for that reason but with a life time award I'd go for it everytime. Every little thing is taken care of excepting for putting petrol in it. Do apply for for the Blue Badge scheme too as it helps enormously, with a lifetime award you'll get it automatically.

Motability v own car

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