Motability

[Beemer]

I have heard that car dealerships will be opening next week in June.
Does anyone know if that will mean Motability will be available then?
I am new to this and would welcome any advice. I have done a bit of Googling and there are statements that say only two people can be registered to drive, but I would require my 21 year old lad to be able to drive too, as well as my wife.

[Hayls]

We’ve been on the scheme for many years, you have to ensure the vehicle you need is suitable for age under 25, my step son is 20 and won’t be able to drive my WAV vehicle, my husband has a A vehicle and he’s insured to drive that if he needs to. You contact them in advance and you can insure the driver when you need them, if they have previously been insured they just switch over the name, does require planning which is a pain but worth it, I’m not sure when they’ll open again but hopefully soon

[Barry52]

Hi Beemer,

Motability are currently not accepting new orders as the manufacturers were due to publish new prices on 1st April but have not done so due to coronavirus. Here is the statement from their website regarding 21 year old people.

Protecting the Scheme
At the time of ordering your new car, you, your nominated drivers and the Motability Scheme dealer will need to sign a 'Statement of Responsibilities' form Will download a resource(PDF 37KB) to confirm you understand and agree to follow the terms and conditions for using your Motability Scheme vehicle.

To ensure you get the maximum benefit from your car, any named drivers should live close to your home address, ideally within around five miles. However, we do understand that this may not be possible for everyone. In order to protect the Scheme, there are a few rules surrounding who can drive your car.

If none of the named drivers live at the disabled customer's address, or the disabled customer lives in a care home where a number of drivers have access to the car, we may consider fitting a location tracker. This is to ensure the customer is gaining direct benefit from the car. We will always speak to the customer to discuss this in advance of a tracker being fitted.
Drivers aged under 25 are restricted to cars with an ABI Insurance Group 16 or lower and with a power output of 120 brake horsepower (BHP) or less. This does not apply to Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles. For more information, speak to your dealer or visit thatcham.org/abigrouprating
Only one named driver under 21 is permitted. This could be the disabled customer, or another driver living at the same address.
Misuse would include:

Not giving the disabled person the benefit of the car
Driving whilst uninsured or banned
Using the car in a criminal act
Lending, sub-leasing or selling the car
Using the car for unauthorised business purposes, for example, as a taxi driver or delivery vehicle
Not taking proper care of your car

Best wishes,
Barry

[Deb]

Hi Breemer ,

We have a Peugeot Horizon provided by Allied mobility, under the motability scheme. We could have two named drivers on the insurance so one is my husband and the other our eldest son. He needed to live within five miles of us and you are not meant to use the car unless it is for the benefit of the person who qualifies for motability.

Allied mobility were very good as they bought the WAVs to us to try and made sure we knew how to strap the wheelchair in and use the ramps. The only downside is my chair is too high in the car to see out of the windows but I cant have it any lower because my legs are long . You could pay to have the car floor lowered but it was alot of money.

Good luck !
Love Debbie x

[Lynne K]

Hi Beemer, there is an option for you to buy second hand if you can afford it. Well looked after WAVs tend to be sold on. They come up regularly of different years, mileage and manufacture. If Motability are not involved their rules wouldn’t apply. it’d be necessary for you to find an insurer who is willing to insure your 21 year old son and your other drivers. A word of caution: I’m an ex driving instructor but I’m out of the loop. I can’t remember current new driver’s license limitations, so this would need checking before making any decisions. Good luck. Lynne

[Beemer]

Thank you for your replies, my wife and my son may be the only ones driving after a while, hence the reason to have my lad included on the insurance, my son lives with us, and he is under 25 yrs old.
I have only looked at cars under 120bhp for that very reason.

[miranda]

RSA are the insurers for the motability scheme vehicles and have always been very helpful and understanding when we have had to contact them.

[Jacquij]

I was starting to look at mobility scheme as lockdown came in, and it looks like it is going to be some months before it will be open to new applications which is a shame.

Can I ask what type of vehicles people have and what they think about them.

[Hayls]

Hello Jacquij,
I would recommend an automatic, it enabled me to drive for 6 months before adaptations where needed, I’m now needing a WAV vehicle as I’m not able to walk anymore so really depends what your abilities are at the moment, good luck

[Jacquij]

Hi there thanks very much for your advise Hayes,

, I have an automatic at the moment but can not use my legs at all now. I was due to have a driving assessment to work out what would be best for me, but to add insult to injury I fell and broke my wrist so that could not happen along with Covid being on the scene. I am now thinking that as walking is so difficult if I did convert my mini how I would get around once I drove to my destination as even getting in and out of the car is an issue, let alone walking. Just reluctant to waste money

[Ellie]

I feel for you Jacqui and I understand your dilemma about spending money on something which may soon become unusable.

Does your OT know you well? You could ask them for an opinion - not about Motability itself, but on the feasibility of the whole thing.

I know stopping driving was gut wrenching for me, I empathise with you completely...

Take care.

Love Ellie.

[Barry52]

I was starting to look at mobility scheme as lockdown came in, and it looks like it is going to be some months before it will be open to new applications which is a shame.

Can I ask what type of vehicles people have and what they think about them.

Hi Jacqui,

Since you ask I will offer my opinion based on extensive research.

Ask yourself the question what will be the main purpose of your vehicle. Do you want freedom to go anywhere or just to use it locally? Does it need to be big enough to accommodate a scooter? Automatic vehicles are certainly easier to drive but once you declare to DVLA that your reason is medical rather than by preference they will change your license and you can’t go back to manual. I still have function in both legs therefore I declared a preference for automatic.

Also worth considering is how easy is it to get in and out of the vehicle. As we become less mobile a car that is low to the ground becomes difficult so my preference is an SUV. I appreciate that extras can be expensive, although many manufacturers include them as standard but they take a lot of stress out of driving and many become safety features.

Good luck with your search for the right vehicle.

Best wishes,
Barry

[Jacquij]

Hi thank you for your advise some great points to think about. My preference is to convert my car and have a nice young man to help me at my destination, however I don’t think that will be possible as my Husband may get upset with me. The local driving assessment centre rang me yesterday to see if I would be interested in July in going for an assessment which my OT had suggested so I think I will wait for that.

[Barry52]

Hi all,

Great news from Motability. As a result of fewer cars on the road they have seen less claims for accidents so they are refunding £50 to their customers. I received my cheque this morning. I suppose we have to see some positive signs out of this crisis.

Best wishes,
Barry