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GM Mobility provide a wide selection of vehicles through its inclusion in the Motability Scheme, but we know not everyone knows what that is. Here you’ll find a good deal of information about the Motability Scheme from eligibility to vehicle usage, payments and much more.
The GM Mobility Guide to The Motability Scheme
The Motability Scheme is a government-backed support programme ran by the Motability charity for people with disabilities or for families with disabled children who require mobility support. It’s there to provide individuals or families with vehicle access so they regain full independence and personal freedom.
Anyone who is disabled and eligible for the Motability Scheme can lease a mobility scooter, non-wheelchair-adapted support car, Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAVs), or powered wheelchair to assist in full independence and daily living.
If you can’t drive, don’t worry. You can nominate two people you know to drive for you when you make your Motability Scheme application, but your nominees are required to hold a full, clean, and valid UK driving license to be nominated. More on this below.
There’s an option to add a third person as a nominated driver but you’ll need to contact RSA Motability to do that once you’ve made a successful application with two nominated drivers.
Ideally, nominated drivers are required to live within a five-mile radius of yourself for realistic assistance, but since we and those who run the Motability Scheme know, life’s not always ideal. That’s why the Motability Scheme considers nominated drivers outside of this radius where their support is vital to your mobility needs.
Eligibility & Qualifying Factors
There are a few things you need to do to be eligible for assistance from the Motability Scheme and we’ve provided a rundown of what those things are so you can fast-track your way to full independence.
The first thing you’ll need to do is be in receipt of one of the following benefits with at least a twelve-month reward period remaining:
- Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP)
- Higher Mobility Rate Component of the Disability Living Allowance (HMRC DLA)
- Higher Rate Mobility Component of the Child Disability Payment (Scotland) (HRMC CDP)
- War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement (WPMS)
- Enhanced Rate Mobility Component of the Personal Independence Payment (ERMC PIP)
We’ve contained links to each of the benefits so you can find out more about them if you’re not yet in receipt of a qualifying benefit. If you’re already in receipt of an abovementioned benefit, find out if you’re eligible for the Motability Scheme by clicking here.
Benefits of the Motability Scheme
The Motability Scheme provides a wide range of benefits to help you, or your disabled family member, regain their independence and enjoy more personal freedom. They are as follows:
Leasing a Vehicle
When you find you’re eligible for support from the Motability Scheme, you’re now able to lease a brand new mobility scooter, non-wheelchair-adapted support car, powered wheelchair, or a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle provided by GM Mobility or any other car dealership under the Motability Scheme (see bottom of guide).
Vehicles such as the mobility scooter, non-wheelchair-adapted support car or powered wheelchair leased under the Motability Scheme are covered over a period of three years with a mileage limit of 60,000 miles. Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles leased under the Motability Scheme have a cover period of five years and a mileage limit of 100,000 miles.
GM Mobility have a wide range of Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles for you to choose from and you can get started here.
Vehicle Value
The value of the vehicle you’re going to lease is covered either in part or in full by the Motability Scheme. The cheapest mobility cars often require no deposit and are fully covered by your mobility benefit. See below for more information on vehicle payments under the Motability Scheme.
Insurance Cover
Your leased mobility scooter, powered wheelchair, non-wheelchair-adapted support car and Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle are covered by insurance under the Motability Scheme. The insurance is provided by RSA Motability.
The specifics of your car insurance can be found in the RSA Insurance Cover Booklet but here is a short rundown of what the insurance cover includes:
- Damage caused to the vehicle by theft, accident, or fire.
- The repair or replacement of damaged glass.
- The repair or replacement of internal equipment supplied as standard with the vehicle (e.g., a radio or CD player).
- The repair and replacement of Motability Scheme and RSA Motability approved adaptations and/or modifications.
- The repair or replacement of any tools or equipment that came supplied with the vehicle.
- The replacement of locks after key theft and filing a police report.
- Usage of a vehicle for charity or volunteer work but you’re not in receipt of regular payments from the organisation.
- Loss of the vehicle.
Breakdown Cover
There are times when your vehicle may let you down, but the Motability Scheme provides breakdown cover with RAC Motability Assist, giving you full support when you need it most.
If your vehicle breaks down on the roadside and can’t be fixed, the RAC Motability Assist team will recover your vehicle and return it to the nearest repair centre. They also provide you with further options by asking if you require a replacement vehicle, overnight accommodation, or transport to your destination.
RAC Motability Assist have the ability to loan you a replacement vehicle for 48 hours if your vehicle is deemed unfit to drive.
More details on breakdown cover can be found here.
Annual Road Tax Cover
A part of greater independence afforded by the Motability Scheme is exempting you from paying Vehicle Excise Duty, better known as car or road tax.
When you lease a vehicle from GM Mobility or any other car dealership through the Motability Scheme, your qualifying mobility allowance automatically exempts you from paying Vehicle Excise Duty.
Payments covering Vehicle Excise Duty are made throughout the period of your lease by the Motability Scheme, so you don’t have to worry about road tax at any point during your lease.
Cost Free Adaptations
When you lease a vehicle for yourself or someone you care for and require adaptations to make the vehicle easier to manage or increase comfort and safety, the majority of the adaptations are covered by the Motability Scheme.
You then only have to pay a small fee or nothing at all for adaptations to the vehicle, depending on the nature of the adaptations being made.
To avoid expense later, it is recommended you order all necessary adaptations when you order your mobility vehicle.
A list of prices and adaptations available under the Motability Scheme can be found here.
Private Usership
If you’re a smoker and would like to smoke inside a mobility vehicle, you can.
All mobility vehicles leased under the Motability Scheme are classified as being domestic and private vehicles where the ‘smoke-free’ legislation does not apply. However, the ‘smoke-free’ legislation does apply if anyone under the age of eighteen is inside the vehicle.
Assisted Living
In the event of transferring into residential care, the vehicle under lease through the Motability Scheme remains unaffected. Your lease continues as normal unless your qualifying benefit is affected, at which point you should contact both the Motability Scheme and the vehicle supplier to discuss your change in circumstances further.
Vehicles Per Household
The Motability Scheme doesn’t apply restrictions to the number of vehicles any one household can have. If you and a family member require more than one vehicle, you are entitled to them, but anyone within your household requiring a vehicle under the Motability Scheme will require their own individual qualifying benefit for this to apply.
How To Apply for The Motability Scheme
When you’re confident you qualify for the Motability Scheme, you’re ready to apply, but the application process isn’t completed online or by post. It’s done in person and for that to take place, you’re first going to need to locate a Motability Scheme accredited car dealership.
Once you’ve found your desired dealership, you should then request an appointment to speak to the dealership’s Motability specialist.
On the day of the appointment, you should take with you your mobility aid and personal identification (photographic ID featuring your date of birth, valid UK passport, or valid UK driving license) along with proof of your address and a reward letter from the Department for Work & Pensions specifying the qualifying benefit. If you intend to drive the vehicle, you’ll need your driving license.
The Motability specialist will ask you to fill in a questionnaire asking about your needs and the nature of your disability. This helps the Motability specialist select the vehicle best suited to your needs. If the selected vehicles aren’t the right match for you, you can approach other dealerships who may have more suitable vehicles.
When you’ve selected the right vehicle for you, you should request any adaptations necessary for comfort and ease of use during this time. Now you can order your vehicle but at this point, you’ll need your identification and Department for Work & Pensions benefit letter.
Anyone nominated as a driver of the mobility vehicle must be in attendance and provide their valid UK driving license with their identification documents.
The Motability specialist will enter your details into the dealership’s database while placing the order for your selected vehicle.
During a two-week period, you should receive a letter of confirmation from the Motability Scheme containing a PIN number. Keep this PIN number safe and take it with you or present it when you collect or accept delivery of the vehicle.
On delivery or collection of your vehicle, present your PIN and sign the lease enabling you to take the vehicle. Make sure you read all the terms and conditions of your lease, so you understand how the lease operates and your commitments towards maintaining it.
You’ll now have your mobility vehicle. Enjoy!
Motability Payments
Now you know how to apply for the Motability Scheme, it’s a good time to discuss how the payment system works when you lease a mobility vehicle.
The Motability Scheme payment system is designed to make leasing a vehicle as stress free as possible and it all starts on the day you collect your vehicle from the dealership.
From the date of collection and occurring once every four weeks, deductions will be taken from your qualifying benefit by the Department for Work & Pensions and paid directly to the Motability Scheme to cover the cost of the lease.
When you select a vehicle requiring Advance Payment, this is payable in full prior to or on the day of collection. Cars requiring Advance Payment are usually too expensive to be covered in full by your mobility benefit and require further financing.
Advance Payments required on mobility vehicles are non-refundable. There has been confusion in the past about Advance Payments being a deposit, but they are not. Advance Payments cover the remaining cost of the vehicle not covered by your mobility benefit.
Some dealerships may ask for a deposit to secure the vehicle, but all deposits paid will be deducted from the Advance Payment total. Also, some dealerships allow you to trade in your existing vehicle to part-finance your mobility vehicle under the Motability Scheme. If this interests you, ask your dealership for details.
Additional Costs
With your mobility vehicle paid for by your qualifying benefit under the Motability Scheme, the costs of running it become your responsibility.
Some of the expected costs occur with fuel consumption, oil replacement, general maintenance equipment such as screen wash and anti-freeze.
Other costs may include excesses on insurance claims; congestion, speeding or parking fines.
Adaptations not covered by the Motability Scheme but included in your order will also require financing.
Restrictions On Leased Vehicles
When you hire a mobility vehicle under the Motability Scheme there are certain standards you need to meet to comply with the terms and conditions laid out in your lease.
Breaching said terms and conditions can cause problems with continuity of the lease and may lead to cancellation, perhaps even legal proceedings.
For more information on the terms and conditions of leasing a vehicle under the Motability Scheme, click here.
Manufacturers Under the Motability Scheme
Here is a list of manufacturers who provide vehicles to support the core values of the Motability Scheme and those in need of mobility support.
Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Audi, BMW, Citroen, Dacia, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, MG, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault, Seat, Skoda, Smart, Suzuki, Toyota, Vauxhall, Volkswagen, Volvo.
Conclusion
The above guide covers a good deal of information regarding what the Motability Scheme is, who is eligible and the conditions of its operations. We hope you found it useful, and if you require any information on the vehicles provided by GM Mobility, all you have to do is click on the associated links.
We wish you all the best, from GM Mobility.