The Motability Scheme enables disabled people to get mobile by exchanging their mobility allowance to lease a new car.
The Eligibility Checker tool and the information on the Motability site will help you to find out if you may be eligible to apply to join the Scheme.
To be eligible to join the Motability Scheme, you need to receive one of the following mobility allowances and you must have at least 12 months’ award length remaining.
Please note that the Attendance Allowance cannot be used to lease a car through the Scheme.
This allowance is provided by the Government and can be used to cover the cost of a lease agreement with Motability Operations Ltd. As of 12 April 2018, this allowance is £59.75 per week. To lease a car through the Motability Scheme, you must have at least 12 months’ award length of the HRMC DLA remaining.
As part of its welfare reform programme, the Government has started to replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) with a new benefit called Personal Independence payment (PIP) for disabled people aged between 16 and 64. The Motability Scheme works with PIP in the same way as is it does with DLA. As of April 2018, this allowance is £59.75 per week.
This allowance is provided by Veterans UK and can be used to cover the cost of a lease agreement with Motability Operations Ltd. As of 11 April 2018, this allowance is £66.75 per week.
A new allowance called Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP) was introduced as part of the Welfare Reform Act 2012. Those who receive this allowance will be eligible to join the Motability Scheme. As of 12 April 2017, this allowance is £59.75 per week (this refers to the mobility element, which is the same rate as HRMC DLA and ERMC PIP).
If you are a carer for someone that qualifies for the Motability Scheme and you have been selected to be their nominee or appointee then you could get a car on their behalf.
These positions are selected by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) or Veterans UK.
If you are selected to be either the nominee or the appointee you could receive a car through the Motability Scheme along with the added benefits of being on the scheme.
As well as receiving a brand new Ford car every 3 years (providing you still qualify for the scheme) you will receive insurance, vehicle servicing, maintenance, full RAC breakdown cover, tyre and windscreen replacement as well as 20,000 miles a year mileage allowance.
An appointee plays a large role in a disabled person’s life and performs a number of tasks for them including the collection of state benefits.
There is no criteria for the age limit of these people however you may find that most children under the age of 16 will have an appointee taking care of them.
It is important to note that a nominee has no legal rights and all agreements are in the customer’s name.
The nominee is not allowed to dictate how the Motability allowance is spent but is allowed to speak on their behalf.