Consultation outcome

Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee

Updated 22 February 2021

DPTAC – the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) - was established by the Transport Act 1985 and is the Government’s statutory advisor on issues relating to transport provision for disabled people. DPTAC’s vision is that disabled people should have the same access to transport as everybody else, to be able to go where everyone else goes and to do so easily, confidently and without extra cost. Below are our responses to the questions posed in the Call for evidence.

Question 1

Question 1a

For those who are eligible, is not leasing a vehicle through Motability a voluntary choice?

Response to question 1a

A Motability car is not a viable option for many of those who receive the enhanced level of the mobility component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) . For anyone who either cannot drive, or does not have a family member or friend who can drive them about, Motability is not an option for these people and there is no question of a voluntary choice for them.

For others, whose finances are stretched, the £61.20 per week for the enhanced rate of the mobility component of PIP has to be spent on general living costs. While they could choose to have a Motability car, this would be at the expense of genuine essentials, such as food, clothing and utility bills, so any option is not a genuine one.

However, there will be a group for whom the choice is voluntary; these are the people who have the good fortune to live somewhere which has an efficient public transport system, such as in London, or other large cities. By contrast, those living in some rural areas, where public transport is infrequent or even non-existent, Motability can be a lifeline.

Question 1b

Is the decision not to use the scheme related to a preference for using public transport or is it due to other factors?

Response to question 1b

There is a possibility that a preference for public transport may be a preference for a small number of people living in large cities with good accessible transport networks but is unlikely to be the case for many others. More likely thinks like cost will be an important factor as the Mobility Allowance will be used for other things and having a car is still a luxury for many disabled people.

Question 1c

Are disability benefits used for other forms of transport or travel support; and if so what are the benefits of this?

Response question 1c

The payment for the enhanced rate of the mobility component of PIP may be used to cover public transport, including trains, buses and taxis. Again, this may not be a choice, but a necessity - to get the person to work and medical appointments, or to go shopping for life’s essentials. It is very likely that a significant number of people would divide the £61.20 per week between necessary public transport costs and basic essentials, with a Motability car being seen as a distant aspiration.

Question 2

Question 2a

For disabled people who are on enhanced mobility benefits, what are the main barriers to leasing a vehicle through the Motability scheme? Barriers could include financial, practical, information based or personal factors for example.

Response to question 2a

Many of the barriers to leasing a Motability car are referred to in our response to question 1. However, a significant concern for many is the uncertainty whether their PIP will be reduced on review from the enhanced rate to standard, or even to no award at all. It is known that the DWP has the power to review and supersede an award at any time. If someone loses the enhanced rate, they would have to surrender their car - this is a particular problem when adaptations have been invested in.

Linked to the above, the perceived cost of adaptations can be a deterrent. Motability has a system for giving means-tested grants for the cost of adaptations. However, while most of those eligible for a Motability car are aware of the basic scheme, few seem to be aware of the grants towards adaptations. There is a significant communications problem with Motability, which should review its communication strategy as a matter of urgency.

Grants towards the costs of adaptations are covered in question 4. However, since these are means-tested, for those who just fail to qualify for a grant, the cost of adaptations may prove to be a barrier.

The lack of ability to buy the Motability car outright at the end of the lease may be another deterrent. Another factor is choice of vehicle. There are not a huge number of larger vehicles on the scheme as there is a limit to the cost of the vehicle, set at around £30,000. This can also stop people joining who want a more expensive car but are prevented from putting their own money towards it, as it is just not available on the scheme. People who live in homes without drives or anywhere to park a car many not want one. Finally, the annual mileage limit of 20,000 miles/year on the lease of a Motability car can act as a deterrent, particularly for those living in more rural areas and who use their car in connection with their employment.

Question 2b

What are the key issues for those individuals who feel they cannot opt in to the Motability scheme?

Response to question 2b

Motability provides a worry free motoring option. Everything is included with the car such as insurance, servicing and breakdown cover. Those who buy privately will not be able to benefit from this and may struggle to get insurance. In addition Motability provides subsidised driving adaptations, highly adapted WAVs and free driving lessons which those not on the scheme cannot benefit from.

Question 3

How does participation/non-participation in the Motability scheme impact on the life of a disabled person?

Response to question 3

A Motability car will often be an invaluable lifeline to a disabled person, and its loss can be nothing short of a cataclysmic disaster. The car can be the main source of independence, providing the only means of getting to work, and may be the only way that someone can leave their home. One only has to attend a Tribunal case where the level of the PIP mobility component is in issue to appreciate the importance of having a Motability car.

The fact that the arrangement not only covers the lease of the car, but also covers insurance, servicing and tyre replacement (inter alia) is also a significant beneficial feature.

Question 4

Question 4a

How affordable are adaptations to a leased vehicle?

Response to question 4a

Some standard driving adaptations are completely free of charge, others are subsidised. Where a customer has to pay, grants are available to cover the cost of adaptations, on a means-tested basis. However, if you need extensive adaptations and don’t qualify for a grant it is a financial burden every 3-5 years in addition to a deposit which you may need for a larger vehicle. As previously mentioned, the fact that such a system of grants exists is not generally known - this needs to be remedied by a much-improved communications strategy. If you need adaptations half -way through a lease you have to fund them 100% yourself which seems unfair.

Question 4b

Does the need for adaptations put people requiring these at a disadvantage in terms of using the scheme?

Response to question 4b

The scheme is most beneficial for disabled people who don’t need any adaptations and can drive one of the cars on the scheme which has no advanced deposit. Anyone who needs a bigger car for mobility equipment such as a wheelchair or has to fund adaptations will have to pay more and suffer a financial disadvantage.

Question 4c

What grants are available for this group of people and what more can be done to support these needs?

Response to question 4c

Grants are available from Motability but they are looking for the most cost effective option. It can limit a persons choice. Not everyone likes to be subjected to a means tested assessment and so may decide to self-fund to avoid this. Other charities to Motability may also provide grants for vehicle advance deposits and adaptations but these depend very much on the persons disability and who they may have worked for.

Question 5

For people who are not eligible, because they do not get the enhanced rate, is there a demand for opening up access to the Motability scheme?

Response to question 5

Many thousands of people who were in receipt of HRMC DLA have been switched to standard mobility PIP and so have lost their vehicle. These are generally those with a physical disability without any psychological or mental health issues so are only receiving points from the “moving around” PIP criteria and cannot gain any further points from the “planning and following a journey” criteria. These people can struggle to use public transport and may not be able to afford their own vehicle outside the scheme. It seems likely that they would want to continue using Motability by topping up with their own money or other benefits. However, it is difficult to justify extending the Motability scheme to those who get the standard rate of PIP. If they were to surrender their payment (£23.20 per week), this would need to be topped up by the individual, which would only allow better-off claimants to benefit.

A better alternative would be to give those entitled to the standard rate of the PIP mobility component access to subsidised public transport, on giving up their payments. Motability would also have to change how it collected money as it would no longer all come via DWP and would involve debt collection issues.

Question 6

Question 6a

How available and/or useful is the information on the Motability scheme?

Response to question 6a

As stated in previous questions, there is felt to be major deficiencies with the information provided by Motability and DWP. DWP used to send out information on Motability to everyone who received HRMC-DLA but that does not seem to happen with PIP. Motability have some informative videos, but these can be difficult to find. Similarly, it is not easy to find information on adaptations and grants to cover their cost.

However, dealers can be a good source of information and many car salesrooms advertise Motability on their windows. There is usually a Motability specialist in every car showroom who can help provide information.

Question 6b

Is support available to access this information?

Response to question 6b

There seems to be minimal support on using the Motability website. Arguably, the website falls short of commonly accepted accessibility standards. It is not very user-friendly.

Question 6c

How easy is the process involved in leasing a vehicle from Motability for disabled people with varying needs?

Response to question 6c

By contrast, the actual process of leasing a car is very straightforward. Dealers are always very keen to assist and the process is quick, efficient and usually worry-free, particularly if no adaptations are required.

Question 7

How does the need for and/or opportunity to benefit from the Motability scheme intersect with other characteristics such as:

• different experiences of disability – for example physical impairment, mental health condition, learning difficulty
• other characteristics – such as age, gender, ethnicity
• ‘geography’ – whether disabled people live in a rural or urban environment

Response to question 7

Information may need to be gathered from Motability to help answer this question. Anecdotally, the majority of those using Motability cars are thought to have a physical disability, with fewer users from a mental health, learning disability or sensory impairment background. A factor may be that for many with physical disabilities, adaptations can remove the barriers to driving, but a blind person will not be able to benefit from adaptations and some mental health conditions will be a fundamentally insurmountable barrier to driving. In the area of mental health, part of the problem may be the under-awarding of the enhanced rate of the PIP mobility component by the DWP.

Statistical evidence would establish the demographic background of Motability users, therefore it may be premature to speculate without the evidence.

Question 8

Do those using the Motability scheme benefit more financially than those eligible for the highest/enhanced rate who do not use the Motability scheme?

Response to question 8

It is generally accepted that the bargaining power exercised by Motability leads to an approximate 40% reduction in the cost of a car lease, compared to an individual seeking to negotiate such a lease themselves. It would be useful, significant and important to see this figure confirmed evidentially. Add to that the insurance, servicing and repair costs covered by Motability, it looks like those entitled to the enhanced mobility component of PIP who lease Motability cars secure a large financial benefit. By comparison, those who don’t use Mutability appear to miss out.

This call for evidence refers to increasing the mobility of disabled people. We have a public transport system where privatisation has led to one of the most expensive public transport systems in the world. Disabled people, particularly those on PIP, have lower than average incomes, and for many the cost of public transport is a barrier to their wider inclusion in society. For those who cannot access Motability, either though an inability to drive, or for another reason referred to above, there is an argument that their transport costs should be subsidised, in an analogous way to how Motability benefits its users.