Motability Car Dealers: Making Life Easier For the Mobility Impaired

Some people whose movement are restricted really need a car to get around in. Unfortunately, they are usually the people least likely to be able to afford one or at the most afford one within a restricted budget. These are people whose restricted mobility make them unable to go to the shops; visit the doctor; or just get out for a change of scenery. These people often have very little money – what money they have is usually devoted to care and home modification. Until recently they’ve had no real means of subsidising car transport – until the advent of the Motability scheme, which designates Motability car dealers to supply reliable subsidised vehicles to people who need them most.

A Motability car dealer is empowered, under the terms of the Motability scheme and in tandem with contractual arrangements to car manufacturers that have agreed to take part, to lease brand new vehicles to qualifying persons. The cost of the monthly lease payments is borne by the disability payments that qualifying persons receive from the government or armed forces – meaning, in effect, that the vehicle is totally affordable for even the worst-off among mobility impaired UK citizens. The Motability car dealers may lease any vehicle in this way, provided that the vehicle manufacturer has allowed it to be included in the scheme. The majority of vehicles are available for a simple monthly lease payment: though some of the more expensive or higher performing models also require a one off cash payment at the start of the lease.

Cars of Vauxhall and Peugeot make are both involved in the Motability scheme – offering mobility impaired UK residents a wide choice of renowned and reliable vehicles. All vehicles come in top state and ready to roll – even their road fund licence, servicing and MOT are paid for by the lease contribution. Motability car dealers conduct all normal services and MOTs as standard – the scheme payments include it all. The only thing the vehicle user pays for is fuel and oil.

The Motability car user can even have up to two extra people insured on their car for free. The Motability scheme also pays for the named owner’s insurance.

In order to qualify, a person must receive the Higher Rate Component of the Disability Living Allowance, or a War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement. In either case, this contribution is directed straight into the scheme and forms the payment for the monthly lease.

Motability car dealers exist all over the country – so no-one has to travel very far to take advantage of the scheme. Using Motability means peace of mind, after all – it would be no good offering all that freedom if mobility impaired drivers had to travel to sign up. Simply look for the nearest Motability dealer using a search engine – or go direct to the site of a multi-location independent like the Dickens Group, which has the Motability contract for both Vauxhall and Peugeot – and may also be adding more manufacturers to their list in the near future.

Motability car dealers are here to make life easier for the people who need it most. In tandem with the charity itself, which obviously deserves a fair share of the praise, they are doing more to make life better for people whose movement is restricted than most.