Hi Richard
Sorry to hear of your problem and I myself have pondered on going for a grant, mostly to help pay for the extra I have to fork out on having to drive an automatic because of my disability and now 12 years into Motability cars, having the need for large MPV / SUV to carry a scooter without dismantling it to get it into the boot with the help of a hoist.
The cross referencing you’ve mentioned is one of the things that has put me off going down the grants road in the past and thankfully I think I can avoid it on my next car but things like this make me just think I’d just carry on struggling regardless as I don’t want to have to beg for help anyway, nobody does. What’s next a bright lamp in your face or maybe a blind fold while they drip water on your head.
Like you’ve said, how do they know what is a help to you and taking your mention of the heated steering wheel is something I got in my current car and having to drive one cold handed has been a bigger help to me than the heated seats I’ve got but its something I never knew would be such a help to me until I had it, that said, more than likely my next car won’t have the heated steering wheel as I’ve got lots of other things to put before it and I haven’t been encourage to go for a grant having read your thread. Not only that but there are particular cars I’m at ease with when driving being a disabled driver and being told that maybe that particular car is too expensive and to make do with something else would have me driving around for 3 years with something I loath and I’m not happy with.
Like I said I hope to finance my next car without help because my wife has money coming to her this Summer so we will survive and by the sounds of it, it’s just as well.
Only thing I can suggest for you is to try again in a week or so or sit down and write a letter about how you feel and what your needs are then send it to them on their contact us page, that’s how I’ve communicated with them I the past, and then there forewarned of your problems before they call you.