Motability Scheme

Motability - the leading car scheme for disabled people

For most people, a car is an essential part of everyday life, but for a disabled person it is often their lifeline. Motability's car and wheelchair schemes currently provide freedom and independence to around 400,000 disabled people and their families, across the UK.

The Motability Scheme was set up on the initiative of the Government in 1977, to provide cars and powered wheelchairs to disabled people. The first Motability car was supplied in 1978 and since then more than 1.6 million cars and powered wheelchairs have been provided. The Scheme is directed and overseen by Motability, a national charity, which also raises funds and makes grants to people who would otherwise be unable to join the Scheme.

How the Motability Scheme works

Disabled people can use their government-funded mobility allowance to lease or buy a car, powered wheelchair/scooter through one of four main schemes:

• A three-year Contract Hire Scheme to lease a new car.
• A Hire Purchase Scheme to buy a new car, over a term of four to five years.
• A Hire Purchase Scheme to buy a used car, over a term of two to five years.
• A Hire Purchase Scheme to buy a new powered wheelchair or scooter, over a term of one to three years.

By far the most popular is the Contract Hire Scheme, which offers customers a brand new car of their choice, from a wide-ranging list of approved manufacturers, on a three-year lease. All maintenance and servicing costs are included, together with comprehensive insurance and breakdown cover.

Who can apply? To be eligible to join the Motability Scheme, applicants must be in receipt of the Higher Rate Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance, or the War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement, which must ideally be awarded for long enough to complete the full length of their chosen agreement. Children from the age of three and non-drivers can also apply for cars as passengers, provided they receive the correct allowance.

Once a customer has chosen which scheme they wish to join, they then agree to pay over all, or part, of their allowance to Motability, depending on their choice of  car/ wheelchair, for the duration of their contract hire, or hire purchase agreement.

Motability Accredited Suppliers

All Motability Scheme cars and wheelchairs/scooters are available through a national network of over 3,500 Motability accredited suppliers. To become accredited, the suppliers are regularly inspected on-site to meet a set of standards, which are set by Motability, in order to ensure that all customers receive a first class service.

Adaptations to cars

For most Motability customers, a standard production car is suitable for their needs, but special adaptations are needed for around 10 per cent of customers, to enable them to drive safely, or travel in comfort as a passenger.

Providing additional financial help

Motability also awards various grants to help those customers who need additional financial help. These grants go towards a range of essential vehicle adaptations and conversions, extra payments towards a chosen car and to assist in the funding of driving lessons.

As well as administering government-funded grants, Motability makes its own charitable grants. Motability's fundraising team exists to help meet this demand and raises money in a variety of ways, with the help of individual supporters, corporate support and events, trusts and appeals and employee fundraising initiatives.

For further information about the Motability Scheme, please telephone 0845 456 4566, or visit the Motability website at www.motability.co.uk