Whilst I can’t account for all the variations in AP – other than it is set with the manufacturers and they maybe wanting to suppress demand whilst they (and their supply chains) slowly get caught up after the lock down. One oft used business way of suppressing demand being to temporarily increase the price. Thus, the Advance Payment goes up. Then when production has caught up – have a sale and reduce the price.
Plus if there is a new model coming out, Motability will have to look at the relative value of an ‘old’ model v the ‘new model’ three years down the line, with the old model depreciating more rapidly than the new model. Again, this can adversely affect the AP.
I don’t think Motability Operations are consciously acting to ‘make as much profit as they can at disabled customers expense’ as their profits go to Motability (the charity) for the Charity to use to help people who cannot afford the AP’s or need complex conversions/WAV’s etc. Not forgetting the funding of cars for under 3’s etc. They all cost the charity a lot of money.
As for lobbying the government, do you honestly think it would do any good? Remember one previous Conservative Sec of State put Motability under the spotlight and her main aim was that ‘The scheme represented good value for the taxpayer’! Not a thought of whether it was good value for the customers!
In light of what is coming for the UK economy, do you really want Conservative ministers shining the spotlight on a scheme often perceived by the ‘average person’ to give free cars to the disabled (Yes, I know it doesn’t give free cars but not all the public know that, or even want to know that).
Overall, we are (very) fortunate that the scheme exists at all (even with its faults). Without it many disabled people would very much the poorer mobility wise.
The good fact though is that no one is tied to using Motability. You are completely free to spend whatever allowance you receive wherever you want. If you are not happy with Motability, vote with your feet and go elsewhere if you can finds a better deal.