'My life's been turned upside down' - Penwortham woman priced out of Motability car scheme

The woman, who has asked not to be named, was born with cerebral palsy, but despite substantial physical challenges, she works, socialises, and even coaches athletics.

For more than a decade, she has had a car under the Motability scheme, which is available to those with an entitlement for the higher or enhanced rate of the mobility component of disability benefit, currently around 890,000 people.

But now the woman, who is in her 40s, says she will not be able to continue on the scheme when her deal ends in November, because of changes being introduced by the Government that would leave her thousands of pounds worse off and increasingly isolated.

What’s changing?

The Motability company said it is changing mileage allowances, charges for additional mileage and introducing charges if vehicles are taken abroad. Users could also face an increase in advance payments worth up to £400 at the start of their new lease.

It comes amid a backdrop of fierce political scrutiny towards the scheme, which allows some people receiving disability benefits to direct some or all of their payments to lease a new car or accessible vehicle. Users can be asked for an initial downpayment, but the scheme covers the insurance, servicing and breakdown.

The Penwortham woman said: “Because of the changes, I’m going to have to leave the scheme. I work and travel all over the country, so by the end of three years, I’ll have done around 50,000 miles. As it stands, I’m allowed to do 60,000 miles over three years, but the changes will see that halved, and the charges for every additional mile is going up from 5p a mile to 25p per mile.

“So, under the new rules, I’d be doing 20,000 miles more than I was allowed in a three year period, and I’d have to pay out £5,000 for that.”

She added: “As well as work, I have hospital appointments, I coach athletics in Manchester, I see friends and family so I’m not isolated - so this mileage is not in the real world.”

Other changes

She is also critical of changes to the Drive Smart change to the scheme, which launched last August and is compulsory for anyone with a driver under 30 on their lease. It uses a black box or other device fitted inside the vehicle – and an associated mobile phone app – to measure how well the vehicle is being driven, how far, and how often.

It particularly highlights if the vehicle is driven six or more times in one day or for more than an hour without a break. But it also measures how well the vehicle is being driven by other drivers on the lease, such as a personal assistant, and it notes when the lease-holder’s phone is used during a journey, to raise awareness of “distracted driving”.

The woman said: “I don’t want someone monitoring where I go and what I do”.

VAT

During last year's Budget, the government removed its tax break on insurance and it must now cover 12 per cent on each insurance premium. It must also now pay VAT on some vehicles meaning the scheme will need to pay out an additional £300m from July 1.

Nigel Fletcher, chief executive of the Motability Foundation, said that would be the equivalent of a price rise of £1,100 for every driver on the scheme. He said: "A lot of disabled people won't be able to afford that, so we're now having to try and work out how can we make changes to the scheme that protects pricing as much as we possibly can.”

“Scratching around”

The woman says she is now “scratching around looking for what I can buy secondhand” that will fulfil her needs, instead of a Motability car. But because she has no control over her left hand, the car she has must be button control, cannot have a lip on the boot, and must have certain seating adjustments - something which would cost “£2,000 to do.

She said: “Disabled people are being penalised, completely.

“It’s taking away people’s independence. I’m very grateful for the scheme and how it’s helped me, but these changes are penalising anyone who is disabled. Nobody’s really thought it through.

“My life is a struggle everyday, and this has turned it upside down. Nobody seems to get that. I have to get a new car by August so that it can be adapted in time for my current car going back in November. I’ve spent hours searching for something suitable.”

“Free” car fallacy

The woman said she also feels frustrated when she hears people talking about Motability cars being ‘free’. She said: “The car I have now, I had to pay £5,500 out of my own money, and then I pay £80 a week from my benefits. I still pay all the petrol and for the upkeep.

“But people I know are shouted at in car parks for having a ‘free’ car. It’s awful.”

She says she thinks changes are needed to the scheme, but not those that have been introduced, instead thinks it should be limited to people who need adapted cars.