Is the Motability scheme for you?

Motability is a national charity set up, with all-party parliamentary support, in 1977 and incorporated by Royal Charter.

Its objective is to help disabled people with their personal mobility.

The Motability Scheme enables disabled people to use their government-funded mobility allowance to lease a car, powered wheelchair or scooter.

Recipients of either the Higher Rate Mobility Component (HRMC) of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), the Enhanced Rate of the Mobility Component of PIP, the War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement or the Armed Forces Independence Payment can choose to use the Motability Scheme.

Motability has three main areas of responsibility:

• Directing and overseeing the Motability Scheme which comprises the Car Scheme and the Powered Wheelchair and Scooter Scheme.
• Administering the Government’s Specialised Vehicles Fund, specifically to help people who need a wheelchair accessible or heavily adapted or converted vehicle.
• Raising funds to provide financial help to those customers whose allowance does not cover the leasing cost of the vehicle or the adaptations they need.

The scheme is operated for Motability on a contract basis by Motability Operations Group, a commercial company owned by the major banks: Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group, HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland.

No dividends are paid to shareholders. Any profits are reinvested for the benefit of disabled people on the scheme.

Scheme objectives are reviewed annually with Motability Operations to ensure they remain relevant and focussed on the most important elements of customers’ experiences.

Key performance indicators are set at high levels to ensure excellent customer service over the long term with customer satisfaction surveys conducted every six months to ensure these levels are maintained.

The scheme arranges short-term lease extensions to ensure no gaps occur between vehicles for customers during the renewal process.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) currently award HRMC of DLA to disabled people who are unable or virtually unable to walk, and to disabled people for whom the exertion of walking could put their health at risk.

The impairments are physical and often progressive which means in most cases the person is not a full-time wheelchair user, can access suitable vehicles with little or no assistance, and can drive for as long as the physical exertion of driving remains within their capabilities.

One of the strengths of the Motability Scheme is the wide choice of vehicles, with over 2,500 model variants available, allowing customers to choose vehicles which have the specific features to meet their requirements.

Features include specific seat features such as electric adjustment (to ease access), leather (to assist sliding into position), and heating (to minimise discomfort). Other important features can include sliding doors and electrically operated doors, both of which aid accessibility.

Considerations, such as ride comfort, seat height and door width for ease of access, and boot space for mobility aids are also important.

Motability specialists at dealerships are trained to provide advice on the specific issues most relevant to disabled people.