Whilst I am not into conspiracy theories, all these changes to the scheme does make me wonder exactly what Motability conceded to the Government during and following the press and social media vilification mid to late last year.
As well as what has been published already (VAT on AP’s and IPT, as well as subsequent mileage reductions, black boxes, tyres on ration etc), I wonder if Motability actually agreed to reduce their customer numbers.
Someone above mentioned the forthcoming Timms review and the prospect of people becoming disenfranchised from using the scheme, If so, the Government will be seen as the villain of the piece amongst the disabled community and organisations.
Or did, amongst the VAT implementation talks, Motability also agree to reduce customer numbers as a proxy for the Government? I.e. the Government tells Motability to reduce customer numbers both to appease ‘the mob’ and not leave the Government with the flak, else the Government would fully tax vehicles etc, or even ‘shine a torch’ into the scheme (either another Public Accounts Select Committee or a Competition & Markers Authority Inquiry etc) with the subsequent bad press about Motability salaries etc.
The easiest (and most surreptitious) way for Motability to reduce customer numbers would be to price a percentage of customers off Motability. Motability then gets the flak from customers instead of the Government. The Government can later claim credit to the ‘mob’ for reducing the numbers using Motability.
Unfortunately, we will probably never find out. No doubt an FOI request to the Government for such information would come back with the usual ‘commercially confidential’ response for not releasing such information. We will probably only find out in thirty years when the papers are released. Unless like the Mull of Kintyre Chinook crash papers they are going to be locked away for a century as they may cause embarrassment for the Government.
Overall, I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing Motability would stoop to in order to ‘save it’s skin’ and protect itself and its very comfortable staff t&c’s. If that includes some dodgy dealings with the Government to help the Government do their dirty work, nothing is off the table. Also, what else might Motability have agreed with the Government that has not come to light yet?
I do feel genuinely worried for those folks who do not have either the means, credit rating or confidence to jump ship from Motability in order to meet their mobility needs.