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In todays Daily Telegraph,mtgere is a Daily Mail esq hatchet job on Motability with “free £40,000 SUVs” nonsense.
hopefully this doesn’t go the way of the daily mail lies and restrictions re introduced,
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For those who can’t get past the paywall, this is the article:
People on benefits with mental health problems given cars worth £40k
A survey found that nearly a third of those who cited anxiety as their primary condition would be eligible for the vehicle scheme
ByAmy Gibbons, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT7 July 2023 • 9:58pm
Ministers have been accused of wasting taxpayer money on a “profligate” benefits system as it emerged people who say they are immobilised by anxiety or depression can claim £40,000 cars on benefits.Those with a mental health condition deemed serious enough to severely restrict their mobility can also get insurance for up to three drivers and breakdown, servicing and MOT cover as part of a “worry-free” package covered by the taxpayer.
In order to get a car through the scheme, run by the Motability charity, claimants need to apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), a disability benefit to help with extra living costs, and secure an “enhanced” mobility allowance. They may also need to pay an upfront fee.
The benefits cover the cost of leasing the car for a set period. Towards the end of the lease, the claimant may be able to buy their vehicle for its current market value.
There is no need to have a physical disability to access the scheme. The Government says people may also qualify for PIP mobility payments if they “have difficulty getting around because of a cognitive or mental health condition, like anxiety”. This may include those who struggle to leave their home.
A 2020 survey of more than 1,000 people who had claimed or tried to claim the PIP mobility allowance on mental health grounds found that nearly a third of those who cited anxiety as their primary condition were granted the enhanced rate, which would make them eligible for the car scheme.
For depression, the figure was 22%, rising to 30% for bipolar disorder, 38% for personality disorder, 41% for post-traumatic stress disorder, and 43% for autistic spectrum disorder, according to the poll conducted by independent advice company Benefits and Work.
The Motability scheme comes with insurance cover for up to three named drivers, regular services and routine repairs, breakdown cover, and access to a charge point for electric cars.
One of the cars on offer is an Alfa Romeo Tonale, currently selling for about £40,000.
Claimants can lease the vehicle for free if they cash in their entire mobility allowance and make an advance payment of £3,999.
Alternatively, they could use their benefits to lease a hybrid Ford Fiesta, worth around £25,000, with no upfront costs.
Tory MP Andrew Lewer suggested there was a risk of the scheme reaching more people than intended.
“Although a great many people in need have benefited from Motability’s work over the years, that does not mean it should be exempt from scrutiny if there is a danger of ‘mission creep’,” he said.
Rupert Lowe, a former Brexit Party MEP and businessman, said: “Decent taxpayers are beingincreasingly fleeced by this Government and an inept civil service at any and every opportunity.
“There has to be a safety net for those who genuinely need it, but it’s abundantly clear that vast numbers of the healthy population are taking advantage of a profligate system which shows no respect for the workers footing the bill.
“Official benefit error and fraud cost over seven billion in 2022-23, yet this is within the rules. How much of our money is truly being wasted? The entire welfare system needs strict and fundamental reform – giving support to those who need it, but preventing thousands and thousands from enjoying comforts that hard-working tax-paying families cannot afford.”
A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions said: “Those entitled to the enhanced rate of the PIP mobility component due to the impact of their condition are able to lease a vehicle or powered wheelchair through the Motability Scheme.
“This assists those with the most restrictions on their ability to be independent and get out and about, for example by breaking down barriers to go to work.”
This is what Motability say,
How the Motability Scheme is funded
It is a common misconception that the Motability Scheme costs the Government
(and therefore the public) money. That is not the case. The Motability Scheme is
funded by disabled people who choose to spend their higher rate mobility
allowance to pay the cost of their lease.
In October 2015, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Disabled People,
Justin Tomlinson, stated:
“Motability is an independent registered charity. It is not sponsored by the
Department for Work and Pensions. The Department works closely with Motability
and facilitates the transfer of benefit to Motability on behalf of those claimants
who have chosen to join the Motability Scheme. The Scheme purchases vehicles
which are then leased to Scheme customers. The purchase of the vehicles is funded
by the Scheme and there is no cost to the public purse.”
Disability benefits
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for two key disability
benefits, Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Personal Independence Payment
(PIP) which provide help towards some of the extra costs disabled people may have
because of a long-term health condition or disability. Disabled people can receive
DLA or PIP whether they are in or out of work; these benefits are not means-tested
or taxed.
One of the components of both DLA and PIP relates to mobility, recognising that
disabled people face additional costs in relation to their personal mobility (e.g. it is
often more difficult or impossible for them to use public transport). Disabled people
can spend this money however they wish.
Some 2 million people receive the higher level of mobility allowance from DWP.
The DWP pays circa £6 billion annually to disabled people who have been
awarded this level of support.
Disability benefits and the Motability Scheme
Although Motability works closely with DWP on issues related to the Motability
Scheme, Motability has never had any role in determining who is eligible for DLA
or PIP; that is solely the responsibility of the DWP.
Once in receipt of a higher level of mobility allowance, a disabled person is eligible
to join the Motability Scheme. It is entirely up to the recipient whether they wish to
do so or not. Approximately one third of eligible recipients choose to use their
allowance to lease a vehicle through the Motability Scheme.
Using mobility allowances to pay for a Motability Scheme lease
Once an eligible disabled person decides to join the Motability Scheme, they use
their mobility allowance to pay the cost of the lease. To facilitate the smooth
operation of the Scheme, the disabled person asks the DWP to pay their allowance
directly to the Scheme for the duration of their lease agreement.
Would making the Motability Scheme smaller or reducing the number of
cars available save the Government money?
Making changes to the Motability Scheme would not save the Government money
as they do not fund the Motability Scheme. Regardless of how many of the eligible
2 million disabled people choose to join the Motability Scheme, the Government
will still pay £6 billion each year to people receiving these mobility benefits. The
cost to Government of the relevant disability benefits is therefore £6 billion per
annum, regardless of how individuals choose to spend their benefits.
Why are ‘Expensive’ cars available on the Motability Scheme?
It is important that disabled people are able to choose a vehicle to accommodate
their individual needs from the wide range of vehicles available. Some features
which may seem like an added extra can offer vital assistance to disabled
motorists, such as high seating position to aid entry and exit, power assisted
steering, push-button starting and, of course, automatic transmission.
Many Motability Scheme customers apply for a larger, and often more expensive,
car which requires an Advance Payment to take account of family size and any
equipment they need to transport, such as a folding wheelchair or walking frame.
This is often paid with the help of friends and family although it is important to
note that DLA and PIP are not means tested and are paid whether the recipient is
in or out of work.
Each quarter, the total cost of lease for each vehicle available on the Scheme is
calculated. Purchase price, resale value, insurance, breakdown and servicing are all
included in the overall cost of the lease. If the total cost of a lease is more than the
sum of a customer’s disability allowance they will need to make a one-off payment
known as an Advance Payment from their own pocket. This payment is not
refunded at the end of the lease.
Why do people get a new car every three years?
The length of Motability Scheme leases is kept under constant review taking
account of the price of new cars, the value of second-hand cars, reliability,
environmental factors and the other costs included in the lease such as servicing
and maintenance.
The most recent review concluded that for standard production vehicles, three
year leases currently offer the best possible value for money.
Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs) are available on a five year lease. As WAVs
are tailor-made and built specifically to the requirements of an individual
customer, they are generally more expensive than standard cars. Their bespoke
nature and complex conversions, such as lowered floors, mean they are more
costly to produce, and therefore a five year lease enables us to offer the best
possible value for money.
In some specific circumstances, customers may be able to extend their lease at
the end of their agreementhttps://www.motability.org.uk/media/f42p5cgk/factsheet-3-how-the-motability-scheme-is-funded.pdf
Tory mouthpiece Daily Telegraph hopes to get the “divide and conquer” regime on its bike again…..by catching the attention……….look at all those poor plebs getting fancy cars…..while you have to have three jobs just to pay for cornflakes.
The wording in this deplorable article is extremely false and gives entirely the wrong impression of the typical Motability user. Nobody on the scheme is ‘given’ a car nor is it ‘free’, we all know this. I think everyone on the scheme would rather they didn’t have their disability that qualified them to have a Motability lease car.
It is called gutter press for a reason.
The Telegraph and the Mail, its language and grammar is directed at the reading age of an 8 year old.
If incumbent politicians lose support from the gutter press, they become unelectable. There is no democracy when you have that level of interference in society.
The political parties buckle to the press rather than do something about it.
We have as much choice as the average North Korean or Russian citizen, being brainwashed by Pravda, the BBC, or the Daily Mail. They are all the same..
They carefully skirt around the fact that our Veterans who have mental and physical disabilites rely heavily on Motability. so in effect it is an attack on them. They deserve better than that.
Always read between the lines imo
This story is orchestrated by Gov/Press Editors and this is just one of many stepping stones yet to be laid
Its aim is simple
To divide
This is just the honeymoon wait until the Govs/newspapers marriage is in full swing again ( remember the failed Austerity drive )
Its main intention imo and long term goals is to have PIP means tested
All the bile filled comments, I can only hope they all suffer some ailment , let them claim a car and see what they’d prefer, a set of wheels or a pain free healthy existence cos I’d swap in a heartbeat to have my life over again pain free and healthy
All the bile filled comments, I can only hope they all suffer some ailment , let them claim a car and see what they’d prefer, a set of wheels or a pain free healthy existence cos I’d swap in a heartbeat to have my life over again pain free and healthy
Thats something Im sure we can all agree on
Personally
I will simply drown out any haters with my harman kardon 10 speakers
🙂
Maybe they should write an article about the NHS car scheme, where anyone employed by the NHS from the cleaners to the consultants can avail of a very well funded salary sacrifice scheme. Audi E-Trons where available from £250 a month during the pandemic. And in 2023 went up to £340. Many thousands of cars leased by NHS staff who according to themselves have no money, and go on strike to get more money, yet they are driving about in some really nice cars.
Here we go again. In order to get Higher rate PIP you have jumped through a number of hoops and will have to do so quite frequently. The process can take over a year if you need to go all the way to tribunal and get what you need.
Then they’re saying percentages for mental health. I bet they’ve simply sliced the number of claimants by each mental health without looking for comorbidities that would otherwise affect your ability to get around. These include things like an autistic former soldier who lost limbs as part of an ied attack.
Obviously this is geared up for people to post in Motability and PIP facebook groups and to gain a lot of reads from people understanding just what they’re indignant about, plus a lot of responses on it’s own social media channels, again gaining traction and increasing sponsorship/advertising revenues.
My personal fear is that this further motivates DWP to be even more harsh to those going through the assessment/review process.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
Maybe they should write an article about the NHS car scheme, where anyone employed by the NHS from the cleaners to the consultants can avail of a very well funded salary sacrifice scheme. Audi E-Trons where available from £250 a month during the pandemic. And in 2023 went up to £340. Many thousands of cars leased by NHS staff who according to themselves have no money, and go on strike to get more money, yet they are driving about in some really nice cars.
Well said.
Maybe they should write an article about the NHS car scheme, where anyone employed by the NHS from the cleaners to the consultants can avail of a very well funded salary sacrifice scheme. Audi E-Trons where available from £250 a month during the pandemic. And in 2023 went up to £340. Many thousands of cars leased by NHS staff who according to themselves have no money, and go on strike to get more money, yet they are driving about in some really nice cars.
I never knew that
Yup, been discussed a number of times on here, teslas for £430 per month. A massive number of cars available.
Shocking journalism. Why are people with mental disabilities being singled out? Perhaps they felt the need to re-enforce the old trope that people whose disabilities aren’t visible and obvious can’t be disabled at all?
No mention that Motability is likely the difference between someone being able to lead a near normal life or, heaven forbid, actually mean they are able to contribute to society. Just rabble rousing against some of the most vulnerable in society.
Bad news sells papers, they must be getting desperate for readers, at least they are leaving Harry alone.
Unfortunately I have suffered a brain injury and occasionally I get confused and often say the wrong thing.
we should email the reporter and ask why she is writing this sh**
You’d be better off going to IPSO otherwise the reporter will just use your complaints against you and/or be better prepared for any formal action IPSO may decide to take.
We need to remember, this article and the organisation that released it have no cares about the people on the receiving end of what has been said. It is written to appeal to those who look down on the majority of people from their mansions and highlight the point that there are people getting brand new cars every three years just for receiving the correct benefit. It’s a furtherance of the established systematic scrounging that these people believe exists.
The target audience wouldn’t know what to do should they find themselves in the same position as many recipients of PIP, ESA and similar benefits.
it’s a disgusting thing to ge writing, especially after the damage the last article did to Motability’s reputation and offerings.
It’s amazing that there’s a contingent complaining that certain cars are on the scheme and another complaining that the same cars need an advanced payment of so much money.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
The target audience wouldn’t know what to do should they find themselves in the same position as many recipients of PIP, ESA and similar benefits.
Many people who are entitled to PIP/ESA, etc don’t know what that means to them or how it might help them. We’ve helped many people over the years to get a car on Motability because they’re entitled to it but really they didn’t know. And that’s why I’m a bit miffed about the article going after claimants with mental health issues. Often it’s those folks who need help to understand the very complicated benefits landscape.
we should email the reporter and ask why she is writing this sh**
Amy Gibbons
Political Correspondent, The Telegraph
London
Politics, United Kingdom
As seen in: The Telegraph, MSN (US), MSN UK, The Guardian, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, The Independent, Yahoo News, Yahoo News UK, Daily Express, Metro (UK) and morePolitical correspondent @Telegraph • amy.gibbons@telegraph.co.uk
In this case I think it’s a case of ‘don’t hate the player, hate the game’
It’s fairly clear that Motability will always be the cause of some controversy. And Amy Gibbons is just someone doing a job.
https://www.ipso.co.uk/complain/
Section – Who can complain?
In this case I think it’s a case of ‘don’t hate the player, hate the game’
I dislike this expression. There’s choices that have been made, including the choice to point out more ‘news’ about the scheme, the choice to put that article in such a tone, a choice to misrepresent how the scheme works and a further choice to release the finished article.
Whilst I fully understand the fact that someone has worked hard to get into a position where they can buy their new EV6, just to find out that someone getting enhanced PIP needs just £8,000 and they get one fully serviced and insured for ‘free’ might feel a little concerned. I doubt they’d want to make the full exchange though.
That exchange is the sacrifice of their ‘healthy’ lifestyle to one where severe pain and discomfort are a daily occurrence, where walking from their parking spot into their house and upstairs to the bathroom is more than they can manage in one go or to one where simply opening the front door generates such intense fear and anxiety that they have instant and severe physical discomfort, they feel sick, get an instant migraine, lose the control of their legs and panic so much their heart risks failure. All so they can drive a new car every 3 years for ‘free’.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
Political Correspondent says it all
Seemingly on her Linkedin profile, she has been in here current role with the Telegrapg for a whole 7 months, previously she was with PA media for 1yr 2 months as a political correspondant based at Westminster!
Clearly she has got to do typical journo gutter-press to impress her new employer. Mrs Gibbons openly states, Sourcing and reporting on breaking news stories with extreme speed and precision, maintaining accurate, fair and balanced copy. Yet she can’t base this storey on the truth, sourcing her information from a former Brexit party MEP who no doub’t as an axe to grind over Boris being pushed out, rather than getting the correct information from the secetery of state for disabled people, that taxpayers money is not used for the scheme it self, only diability payments PIP etc.
In this case I think it’s a case of ‘don’t hate the player, hate the game’
I dislike this expression. There’s choices that have been made, including the choice to point out more ‘news’ about the scheme, the choice to put that article in such a tone, a choice to misrepresent how the scheme works and a further choice to release the finished article.
I dislike the expression too. But as I noted further, Motability has always (and probably always will) have its naysayers. So, in this instance, the player (Amy) is just one of many who can take aim and she’s just doing her job – spiteful though it may seem to us here. The game (Motability as a going concern) needs to redouble its efforts to game harder, expect these attacks and use it’s ability to have a better discussion about why the scheme exists, how it benefits folks and why the “Amy’s” of this world are disingenuous in their arguments.
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