I was just after experiences of motability and applying for car tax.
As I am working part time we were considering whether to sell both of our cars and manage with just one. We have looked into getting a motability car. It appears that the motability car is only for the ‘disabled’ person and that the other person is only to use it to do jobs for the disabled person etc. Does this mean that my husband would not be insured to use it to drop me at work then go on to work himself. What about going out for his own needs or for the children? We are trying to reduce our costs, but if my husband can’t have free use of this car there would be no point in getting one. Have we misinterpreted the regulations?
While we were mulling over what to do, we got a car tax reminder and I remembered that I would be eligible for free car tax, so I decided to tax one of our cars in this way. The same applies it states that it must only be on a car that is solely for the diabled person or for their errands. We share both cars and take whichever car suits that journey (e.g. the mini is rubbish for a trip to the supermarket or to cart a load of teenagers around!). So we decided that the car tax wasn’t an option and renewed online and paid instead.
I just wondered if anybody else has just one car and how this works, or are we just taking things too literally? After negative experiences of insurance companies I know they will look for anything to wiggle out of paying up! So I could see an accident without me in the car giving reasons not to pay up.
Hi Nicky,
Have just read this. Off to bed now but will send you a pm tomorrow, either here or on fb.
Julie x
Nicky I had an interesting convo with the insurers for motability because we were having the same crises of conscience! The attitude was that if you have the one car and your partner goes to work - that is essential to support you! and they would not see it as misuse of the motability vehicle. You will be the named driver, along with one and only one other person you nominate. So yes your husband would be insured. I find the problem slightly more tricky with 2 cars - we were the same and OH would take whichever car he felt like driving! I gave up the motability one when the 3yr contract ended - in fact we bought it, but I still have one of them taxed for free. If you want to have a talk to the motability insurers let me know and I will give you the number.
Dawn
xx
Thanks Dawn and Julie
At the moment we are still considering the options, as both cars are paid off, it would seem silly to use the mobility part of the DLA, however both are due MOTs in the next couple of months, so if they are going to start being expensive we might consider motability. My husband also made a good point, we might still be able to have a car on one of these guaranteed future value schemes and pay a similar amount each month.
Hi, we’ve just got rid of 2 cars as they were costing us a fortune and have now got a nice brand new Motobility car. My husband was rather sceptical about this and what it did and didnt involve. Anyway, what we did was book an appointment with the Motobility salesman at our chosen garage and just went along and had a chat with him and he answered all our questions and put my husbands mind at rest.
We then went ahead and ordered a car, and thats basically all we had to do, all the paperwork etc etc was done for us, the DLA side of things was all sorted for us and we just went back 2 weeks later and collected the car.
xx