If you care for someone with a disability, the Motability Scheme could help

If you care for someone who receives a higher rate mobility allowance, you might not know about the Motability Scheme’s all-inclusive package.

---

You can get a brand-new vehicle to help you and your family stay mobile. Or if you care for a child or someone who does not drive, we can add you as a driver instead. 

You’ll get a car from a range of big manufacturers, and adaptations if you need them. Or a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV), scooter or powered wheelchair. 

We’ll cover your insurance, servicing, MOTs and repairs. Plus we’ll give you breakdown cover.

How does the Motability Scheme work? 

If anyone in your home receives a higher rate mobility allowance, like Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payments (PIP), they can exchange this to lease a car, WAV, scooter or powered wheelchair.

As a carer, you might be able to do this for them. For example, as a parent of a disabled child. There are three ways carers can help:

• Becoming a driver
• Becoming an appointee
• Becoming a nominee

1. Becoming a driver

Some Scheme customers do not drive. Or they simply choose to have their spouses or friends as drivers, for convenience, so they can take a break from driving once in a while! We include up to three drivers as part of your lease.

There are a few rules about who can drive a Scheme car to bear in mind, like the ages of the drivers and how far away they live from the customer. And they cannot have any serious driving convictions, disqualifications or endorsements in the last five years.

Remember, not all of our customers drive. So you can add friends and family as drivers.

You need to use the car for the benefit of the disabled customer, but this does not mean they need to be in the car for every journey. You can use the car for shopping and other routine activities, to support your home. 

You can also add a temporary driver for up to 30 days at a time. This is very useful if friends or relatives are visiting, or you’re going on holiday.

2. Becoming an appointee

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or Veterans UK assign appointees. They’re solely responsible for collecting benefits for the disabled person and deciding how they’re used. The appointee is often a family member. You might need one if the disabled person is under 16 years old, or for people who are severely disabled. You can find more information on the DWP website.

An appointee can apply to join the Scheme on the disabled person’s behalf. Then they’ll be legally responsible for the lease agreement. It’s the appointee’s responsibility to make sure the Scheme car is used for the right reasons and that the disabled person has full access to it.

3. Becoming a nominee

A nominee is one or more people nominated to act on behalf of the customer. They can make minor changes to customer details, like changing the address. But they’re not legally responsible for the lease in the same way an appointee is.

We cannot ever talk about a Scheme customer’s agreement with anyone except the customer, appointee or nominee. If the customer has a progressive disability, it might mean they’re less able to deal with their things by themself. They might want to assign an appointee or nominee to act for them.

Useful information for carers

You might find these sources helpful. We’ve included concessions you can get:

• If you’ve recently become a carer for a family member or friend, you might find Carers UK and Disability Rights UK useful for advice and support
• Unless you choose to tax your vehicle privately, we’ll cover your Scheme vehicle for tax exemption
• You may be eligible for a Blue Badge, which lets you park in marked disabled bays. Although it’s a UK-wide scheme, it’s run by local councils. You use this tool to check how it applies to you, anywhere in the country
• This card from the Cinema Exhibitors’ Association gives one free ticket for anyone accompanying a disabled cardholder to the cinema
• Lots of theatres offer discounted tickets for disabled people and their carers. Check what the theatre offers when you book
• The disabled persons railcard grants both the cardholder and their carer one third off train fares
• Some football grounds will allow free admission for carers, but make sure to check their website first.
• Lots of other attractions like museums, zoos and National Trust sites offer discounts for carers but do not advertise them. It’s always worth giving the venue a ring and asking before you go. And remember, the Rough Guide to Accessible Britain includes a huge range of accessible family days out across the UK

Find out more about the discounts, grants and freebies you’re eligible for if you receive PIP.

Related articles:

Everything you need to know about your drivers on the Motability Scheme

Had an accident? You can now report it online

A guide to navigating the PIP renewal process