The Latest Updates From Motability

Motability Advance Payment prices for quarter two 2020 were published on Thursday 4 June. The new Motability Advance Payment prices for quarter three 2020 were published as usual on Wednesday 1 July.

If you are in the final three months of your Motability lease or if you had your lease extended due to the Coronavirus you are now able to place an order for a new vehicle. Motability Specialists can also take applications from new customers who want to join the Motability Scheme.

Please note that while Motability usually require you to have 12 months remaining on your qualifying Mobility Allowance when you place an order, at the moment they are accepting applications from existing customers who have 6 months or more remaining (applies until 1 September). 

Be aware that Motability-accredited car dealerships are currently busier than usual. It is essential that you contact your dealer to make an appointment before you visit them.

Motability started their own plan to reopen the scheme at the start of June. New Motability cars that were already at dealerships waiting to be handed over to customers were their first priority.

Around 5000 brand new vehicles were ready and waiting to be delivered to Motability customers before lockdown. Now that dealerships have had the go ahead to reopen Motability Specialists are able to register and hand over vehicles 'subject to this being done in a COVID-19 safe environment'. In total around 43,000 new vehicles were ordered by Motability customers before the lockdown that are now being handed over. 

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From the 24 July it will be mandatory in England to wear a mask or face covering in a car showroom environment. In Scotland it has been mandatory since 10 July, while the position in both Wales and Northern Ireland remains that face coverings are strongly advised but not mandatory. There are exceptions, including for people who have an age, health or disability reason to not wear a face covering.

Mandatory MOT tests for vehicles in England, Scotland and Wales will be reintroduced from 1 August, the UK Government has said. MOT tests that are due from 1 August 2020 will need to be completed as normal. We would advise you to contact your dealer to ensure they have an appointment available. 

If your vehicle has had a MOT test extension (i.e. it was originally due between 31 March and 31 July 2020) you will be notified by your dealer when the MOT test is due.

Motability have decided to send an insurance-based refund of £50 to every Motability car and Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) customer. The lockdown led to fewer accidents on the road, which has meant a lower number of insurance claims and Motability (in consultation with the Motability Charity) has decided to share this saving directly with Motability customers.

• The Motability Grants scheme has now fully reopened. The Grants team are now accepting all applications includes beneficiaries who are currently on the Scheme, beneficiaries who do not currently have a vehicle on the Motability Scheme plus Driving Lesson, Access to Work and Additional Transitional Support applicants. 
• Motability have confirmed the cancellation of the One Big Day events for 2020.
• Partner services including the RAC, Kwik Fit and the scheme insurer RSA Motability remain open.

Motability have put together a handy Q&A for customers who have questions about how the lockdown will affect the running of the scheme.

This advice covers the common questions that have been asked by Motability customers over recent months, including questions related to:

• Servicing & Maintenance
• MOT Tests
• Vehicle Insurance & Adding A New Named Driver
• Lease Extensions
• Early Lease Terminations
• Delayed PIP Reassessments
• Insurance Refund
• Good Condition Bonus Payments

Motability customers who are experiencing 'temporary and exceptional financial need' can now apply for an advance of the £600 Good Condition Bonus, which is usually only paid to customers at the end of the vehicle lease. 

The statement from Motability reads: 

"The Motability Good Condition Bonus (GCB) payment can be brought forward to provide support during the COVID-19 lockdown, ensuring that customers in need have access to money during a period when they may need it most. Please note that customers who choose to take this payment early would not therefore receive a further GCB at the end of contract – a point when some customers like to put this towards an Advance Payment on their new car."

Motability customers who want to request this early payment need to call Motability directly on 0300 020 5050 or complete the online form to request a call back.

They warn that they are expecting a large number of calls so customers may have to wait on hold for longer than usual.

Read the full statement here.

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If you have a question that Motability haven't answered on their FAQ page the Motability Customer Service team is available Monday to Friday between 9am to 5pm for urgent enquiries. They can also answer customer questions via their webchat facility.