There are lots of good reasons to join the Motability Scheme if you are eligible. The scheme grants access to a car, Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle, scooter, or powered wheelchair, as well as arranging all the insurance, servicing, breakdown assistance and maintenance. Everything is included in the price!
Motability motoring and guidance provider Vindis Audi dealership are here to tell you everything you need regarding the scheme, its benefits, and how you can sign up for the scheme.
What does the Motability Scheme entail?
The Motability Scheme focuses on getting disabled people mobile by offering them an exchange on their mobility allowance in return for a brand-new lease car, powered wheelchair, or scooter. All vehicles which are leased via the scheme are done so by Motability Operations Ltd, an independent company that is responsible or the finance, administration and maintenance of the initiative and which are both authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Eligibility criteria
If you receive any of the following allowances, you will be eligible for the Motability Scheme, provided you have a minim of 12 months award length left:
- The Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP), the allowance of which is £59.75 per week as of April 11th 2018.
- The Enhanced Rate Mobility Component of Personal Independence Payment (ERMC PIP), the allowance of which is £59.75 per week as of April 9th 2018.
- The Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance (HRMC DLA), the allowance of which is £59.75 per week as of April 11th 2018.
- The War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement (WPMS), the allowance of which is £66.75 per week as of April 11th 2018.
If you don’t drive, you can still benefit as you can select another person to drive it. In fact, up to two people can drive the vehicle on your behalf. As well as this, there is the option to claim for a Motability vehicle for the benefit of a child who is aged three years old or over.
The benefits
If you’re eligible, you really can’t afford to miss out on this. The first thing you’ll likely notice when delving into this scheme is just how many vehicles you have to choose from, covering all of the latest makes and models on the market. Don’t worry about your Motability vehicle becoming too old either, as you get to select a brand-new car of your choice every three years!
You won’t need to do anything either. Once you’ve picked the vehicle that’s perfect for you, Motability Operations Ltd will then get to work on arranging everything from the car’s insurance to breakdown assistance, the servicing procedure and any maintenance required — this is all included in the price that those eligible for the scheme will pay. Motability Operations Ltd is even on hand to negotiate prices with the leading car manufacturers every three months, so you know you’re always getting unbeatable value and benefiting from huge savings no matter your budget.
Signing up
The sign up process is very simple. First, you need to start your actual search for the ideal set of wheels — make sure you have valid ID (like a passport or driving licence) and your certificate of entitlement which you gained from the Department of Work and Pensions to hand ahead of your visit to a dealership.
The Motability website or the Motability helpline on 0300 456 4566 can assist you with finding a dealership local to you. The helpline is available from 8am to 7pm between Monday and Friday, as well as 9am to 1pm on Saturday. However, also be aware that calls to the helpline cost 12p a minute from a landline and between 3p and 45p per minute from a mobile.
With your dealership selected, you’ll need to have an appointment with their Motability specialist. If you will find it difficult to get to a dealership, don’t be afraid to ask if the specialist can arrange for the appointment to take place at your home. Alternatively, enquire if they can assist in arranging transport to get you to and from their dealership.
At the appointment, you’ll fill out a questionnaire regarding your needs surrounding the vehicle. This is also the ideal time to inform the dealer about any way that a vehicle will need to be adapted — here’s a list of all the adaptions and adjustments available. Use a mobility aid or wheelchair to get around? Have this to hand during your appointment as well, as you can check that the equipment definitely fits into the vehicle that you’re interested in.
Different dealerships will have different options available. If you’re not totally satisfied with the choice available at one dealer, simply get in touch with another close to you and see if their options are a bit different.
With your perfect vehicle located, it’s time to order it! For this, you’ll need to present the dealership with the car with the following documentation:
- Some sort of identification — again, a passport or driving license will be sufficient.
- A proof of address — either a bank statement or a council tax bill from the past six months will be sufficient.
- Your certificate of entitlement from the Department of Work and Pensions.
You’ll then receive a confirmation letter in the post around two weeks after ordering. This will contain your Personal Identification Number (PIN), which you must enter when signing your lease agreement and collecting your new set of wheels.
Getting around town!
Once you get the keys to your new Motability vehicle, there’s one rule you need to be aware of. This is that the car must only be used by, or for the benefit of, the disabled person who gets a mobility allowance. Take note that this does not mean that the disabled person needs to be in the vehicle during every journey; other named drivers can make use of the car to complete routine activities and shopping trips, so long as each trip has a benefit to the disabled person.
Examples of violations of this would be:
- If you don’t give the disabled person the benefit of their vehicle.
- If you fail to take proper care of the vehicle.
- If you drive the vehicle while either uninsured or banned from driving.
- If you lend, sub-lease or sell the vehicle.
- If you use the vehicle for business purposes which are unauthorised, such as doubling it up as a delivery vehicle or taxi.
- If you use the vehicle in a criminal act.
Motability Operations Ltd reserves the right to take action in the event of serious misuse. This may result in the lease being terminated, the driver being excluded from getting another Motability vehicle, and/or a bill being sent to the driver to cover the costs of repairs or estimated loss in sale value.
Now that you have everything you need, you can enjoy all the perks of the Motability Scheme!
Sources:
https://www.motability.co.uk/about-the-scheme/why-join/
https://www.motability.co.uk/about-the-scheme/who-can-join/
https://www.motability.co.uk/about-the-scheme/how-to-join/
https://www.motability.co.uk/about-the-scheme/how-your-car-can-be-used/
https://www.motability.co.uk/about-the-scheme/who-we-are/
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/help-for-disabled-travellers1/motability-scheme/getting-a-motability-car/
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