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The Motability Scheme offers people with a disability, who are in receipt of certain Mobility Allowances, the opportunity to drive a brand new car that comes with an all-inclusive 3 year package where the cost of everything, except for the fuel, is included.
The Mobility Allowance is an additional benefit designed to help with the extra costs that people with a disability face because of their disabilities. People who receive an enhanced Mobility Allowance can choose how to spend their extra money, and over 600,000 people choose to spend it on a brand new Motability car.
The UK Government decides who qualifies for a Mobility Allowance. It's estimated that around 1 million people in the UK who qualify for Motability haven't yet joined the scheme.
With Motability, you can enjoy carefree motoring and a brand new car every three years, with none of the worry or costs that come with owning and maintaining your own car.
The worry-free Motability car package includes:
With Motability you get the freedom to choose the new vehicle you want. There's a massive range of around 2,000 cars, MPVs and SUVs to choose from, including brand new models that deliver flexibility, space and the latest technology without compromising on performance or style.
How much it costs depends on the car you choose. If you choose a car with no Advance Payment, the cost of the car is met entirely by your Mobility Allowance, with nothing else to pay.
If you need an adaptation to help you or a passenger to drive or get into the vehicle, the Motability specialist in the dealerships you visit will be able to help advise you on the types of adaptations available.
Joining the scheme is easy, with no forms or paperwork, no medical questions, no waiting lists and no credit checks.
To lease a car through the Motability Scheme, you need to currently receive one of the following Mobility Allowances:
| Mobility Allowance Name | Weekly Mobility Allowance | Qualify For A Motability Car? |
| The Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance (HRMC DLA) | £62.55 |  |
| The Enhanced Rate Mobility Component of Personal Independence Payment (ERMC PIP) | £62.55 | |
| The War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement (WPMS) | £69.85 | |
| The Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP) | £62.55 | |
If you currently receive one of these benefits, you'll qualify as long as you have at least 12 months’ allowance remaining.
Not everyone who joins Motability chooses to lease a car. Some people choose to lease a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV), scooter or powered wheelchair through the Motability Scheme instead.
People in receipt of a higher rate or enhanced Mobility Allowance can choose to use it to effectively pay the monthly cost of a brand new Motability car. The money is paid directly to Motability every 4 weeks by the relevant benefits agency to pay for the lease of the vehicle.
The Motability car lease agreement lasts for three years, with no extra costs. The only contribution you may need to pay upfront is an Advance Payment.
Many larger or more expensive cars require an upfront Advance Payment. This figure is set by Motability every quarter, and if you choose one of these vehicles the amount is paid to the Motability dealer before taking delivery of the car. The Advance Payment is fixed and non-refundable.
If you don’t want to pay an Advanced Payment, you don’t have to; hundreds of vehicles are available on the Motability Scheme with £0 Advanced Payment. Many are also available for less than the cost of the Mobility Allowance. If you choose one of these Motability cars, then the remainder would be paid directly to you by the relevant benefits agency.
The Motability Scheme isn't just for people who can drive, it's for anyone who currently receives a Mobility Allowance. Motability will insure up to three people to drive the car, and the Mobility Allowance recipient does not need to be one of these named drivers.
So if you can't drive, but you do qualify for a Motability car, you can nominate up to three drivers (who could be relatives, friends or carers) who will be insured to drive the car on your behalf. Additional drivers can be added to the Motability insurance policy at an additional cost by contacting the insurer, RSA Motability.
All named drivers should ideally live with the Motability customer, though Motability will accept drivers onto the scheme who live roughly within a 5 mile radius of their house, and they will consider requests to include drivers outside of this range.
Restrictions apply to drivers who are aged under 25. Drivers under 25 can only be insured on a Motability car with an ABI insurance group of 16 or under. In addition, the power output of the engine has to be 120 BHP or less (these rules do not apply to Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles). Furthermore, only one driver under the age of 21 is permitted.
Only people who have been registered on the Motor Insurance Certificate for the Motability vehicle and who have a valid driving licence may drive the car.
All that Motability ask is that the car is only used by, or for the benefit of, the person in receipt of the Mobility Allowance.
So, for example, you could drive the car to the supermarket if you were doing the shopping for the person with the disability. They wouldn't need to come with you.
There are a few other conditions that Motability ask drivers to adhere to for the duration of the 3 year lease. These include:
If circumstances change during the 3 year Motability lease, we would advise you to contact Motability as soon as possible to let them know.
A few months before you reach the end of your lease it's time to start thinking about ordering your next Motability car. Motability will write to you and explain how the process works, and you should start to look online to bring yourself up to date with all the latest cars and Motability Advance Payment deals available.
You don't have to stay with your existing dealer, and are free to arrange test drives with other dealers to make sure the cars you are interested in are right for you. Once you've chosen your next car, the Motability specialist will complete your order for you at the dealership.
After your lease ends and you've handed your current car back to the dealer, Motability could pay you £600 (or £900 for WAVs) if the car hasn't suffered any serious damage. The dealer will carry out a full appraisal of the vehicle and, if Motability decide that the car qualifies for the Good Condition Bonus, they'll pay it directly to you via a bank transfer or send you a cheque in the post.
Download the latest guide to the Motability Scheme
Download the 'easy read' guide to the Motability Scheme