However, it can’t be used by the nominated driver for their sole pleasure, unless there is a benefit to the disabled person, like being told to get out of their space for an hour. This also applies to Motability rules.
As I mentioned in a post on this very subject a week or two ago, when we retired we no longer needed two cars as it also coincided with my wife no longer being able to drive. I would have liked to have retained my private car (BMW 5 Series), but it was a saloon so not practical with the wheelchair. My preference was to leave Motability and buy a 5 Series Touring or x5 but my wife, who is the benefit recipient, said she’d prefer us to stay in the scheme if we could. We were also considering an extension on the house at the time (which we never actually did), so not using a lot of capital on an expensive private car had some advantages as well.
I called Motability and explained that as we would only have one car, there would be lots of times when I would use the car for my private use and not for the benefit of my wife. I was very surprised (and, in truth, a little disappointed 😂) that I was told that this was fine. They said that in a situation where a couple is living together and their circumstances only require them to have one car, you can use the Motability car as you would a private car that you owned (with the usual restrictions of social, domestic and pleasure, plus commuting – not that the latter applies to us). I queried this and she said that the policy wording is there to give them the power to recall cars from situations where there is clearly abuse, such as when the nominated driver lives elsewhere and only sees the benefit recipient infrequently.
I was still a bit sceptical and even asked if the call was being recorded so that there could be no issue in the future, and I was assured that it was.
Consequently, I use the car several times a week without my wife in the car and not directly for her benefit and I have zero worries about doing so.