Driving Benefits Too Far? Rethinking the Motability Scheme

If you are looking for a demonstration of just how easily the British benefits system is open to exploitation, then consider the Motability scheme. Designed to let people with major disabilities remain mobile and independent, this scheme allows claimants to exchange their £75.75-a-week mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment for the hire-purchase of a brand-new vehicle. Principally, it is a lifeline for mobility-impaired people who require a vehicle to make simple tasks such as hospital visits, shopping, or staying socially connected.

Many, many Motability cars...

As eligibility for disability benefits has expanded in recent years the number of people eligible to join the scheme has exploded. There are currently an estimated 815,000 Motability cars on UK roads, equivalent to about 20% of new car registrations. While many of these claimants actually do have serious, legitimate conditions, more and more suspicion exists that the system is being taken advantage of by claimants with less severe conditions or even coached claimants who exaggerate their symptoms.

Open to Exploitation...

However, the scheme has become increasingly unpopular for letting itself be exploited. Even though the full allowance could provide enough to cover a small vehicle like a Nissan Juke, users can spend thousands more – up to £7,999 in some cases – to rent luxurious vehicles like a BMW i4 M Sport that retails for over £50,000. These cars also include a full complement of extras including free road tax, insurance, breakdown cover, servicing, and MoT, and this is a fantastic bargain when compared to what a working person might be able to obtain on the open market.

Social media has been a breeding ground for such exploitation. So-called "benefits advisers" and influencers share tips and tutorials on how to claim the maximum mobility allowance correctly, sometimes even instructing people to stage their conditions in a certain way in order to receive it. This has fueled resentment among the general public, especially when working-class families are struggling to be able to afford even minimal transport.

The ultimate perk available through the UK benefits system...?

Final thoughts...

Fair enough that taxpayers pay for cars for those who need them, these vehicles can be a lifeline, but there should be no way the State is elevating people's vehicles to a level that the bottom 40% of working people could never hope to afford.

It sounds like a relatively simply tweak could get rid of the BMW abuse!

Posted Using INLEO