It is legal and it’s not discrimination. Motability Operations is, and always has been, a commercial business, not a charity. They also happen to pay all of their employees (not just the CEO) way above what other call centre operations pay their staff (plus gold plated benefits), even though they are a monopoly and don’t face the competitive pressures that other businesses face. It’s easy money for them. Whilst it might be immoral, especially as their revenue comes from disabled people, it’s not illegal
Whilst the recently announced changes make the scheme far less attractive than it was, all customers still benefit from full VAT exemption on the core lease. Disabled customers buying privately can only get the VAT knocked off if they are full time wheelchair users and need a permanent and substantial modification. Therefore, if there is any discrimination, it is in favour of Motability customers, not against them.
We are leaving Motability, but not because of the changes announced yesterday, as none of those would affect us (the addition of VAT on APs from July would though). Our decision was already made based on poor choice (we aren’t interested in EVs or Chinese cars) and the fact that we don’t want to be limited to what Motability will ‘allow’ us.
If there has been a change that is discriminatory, it’s the removal of ‘luxury’ brands from the scheme. Disabled customers who prefer these brands are no longer allowed them, even if they are willing and able to pay the extra cost of leasing them. There is zero financial sense to this decision. It is purely about optics. I sit uneasy with that, as it adds to the stigma being created by politicians, the press, social media and the great British Public about the ‘type’ of people who have Motability cars, so we are taking our money elsewhere and buying a very nice BMW which, thanks to what this government has done, everyone will know is not a Motability car 😂