[Rich]

The car we have needs to go back in January. It is my adult son’s car and his mum mainly uses it to drive him to his day centre and whenever we go out/away as a family. With all of the changes happening a new 3 year lease is looking to be nearly £20k, which is ridiculous. The car covers around 14k miles a year.

We can part fund a used car and looking to spend up to £20k, a loan will be needed for around £12k. We’ll probably get a Suzuki Across, so basically a rebadged Toyota RAV4. If anyone has one of these I wouldn’t mind some feedback on the car too.

The mobility payments go to my son who has learning disabilities and doesn’t understand money etc. His mum is his appointee. For this reason we can’t get a loan in his name. His mum works part time when he’s at the day centre so doesn’t earn a lot. The rest of the time she is looking after him. An eligibility check says she wouldn’t get a loan with her low income.

My income isn’t too bad so the loan might have to be in my name if I can get it and then we use the PIP payments to cover it. Anything left will be put aside for running costs.

Ideally we need the loan in my son’s name because the council does an annual financial assessment. They part fund his place at the day centre and he funds the rest. They don’t include the mobility part of his PIP in this because it goes straight to motability. With those payments going back to my son once we leave the scheme, they will include it in the assessment meaning he may have to pay more for his care, leaving less money to pay the loan!

Has anyone else been in a similar situation, what did you do? I’d rather not finance through a dealer but it might be the only way.

Who’s name does the car need to be in so we don’t pay the VED on it? I’ve not looked in to that yet.

Thanks

Topic

[Glos Guy]

@Rich If your local authority works the same as ours (likely I would think), the Mobility element of PIP is discounted when it comes to a financial assessment, regardless of whether it’s used for a Motability car or not. Best to check with your authority but I suspect it’s the same.

As for the VED exemption, the car can be registered in the name of a nominated driver. It doesn’t have to be the disabled person.

• This reply was modified 1 week, 6 days ago by Glos Guy.

[James295]

Hello Rich

I would check with Motability to see whether the day care counts as healthcare, education, work (either  directly for your son or indirectly allowing his Mum to work), or a bit of each?

Or it may be that daycare is a category that Motability needs to add to their “exemptions” list?

If Motability do accept daycare as an exception, your 4000 miles per annum excess would be charged at 10p per mile instead of 25p per mile as per the new rules published today. Which is £400 per annum.

Or could you try asking Motability for a vehicle grant to help get your son to his daycare, provide respite for his Mum and to allow her work too?

 

• This reply was modified 1 week, 6 days ago by James295.

[James295]

Rich

Further to my last reply, day care should count under the health category as essential support services if your son could not be left on his own whilst his mum goes to work.

[kdwolf]

If none of the above helps, perhaps two other options to consider:

1. 0% APR deals on used EVs e.g. this site.

2. End of Year brilliant discounts on PCP / PH – if you return your Motability back in January,  taking a new car on PCP in December means it will be delivered in January too. From our recent experience many dealers purchase the cars themselves at the end of the year to get a bonus and then shift these cars with a significant discount. For example our BYD Dolphin Surf cost us £1,200 deposit plus £184 pcm and only because the kid didn’t want default colour (£170 pcm was the base price for 8K miles pa and 3 years). Once they sold December stock the price went up to over £300 pcm.

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Apologies for briefness and spelling mistakes.

Motability Skoda Enyaq SportLine 85x April 2024 (unhappy customer - Ombudsman pending)
Motability Mazda CX-60 PHEV July 2023 (unhappy customer - early termination on mechanical grounds)
Motability VW Touran Family Pack May 2019 (happy customer)

[kezo]

Hi Rich, the Suzuki Across was based on a mid spec Rav4 PHEV and had a different nose to the Rav, but built by Toyota. @Oscarmax has one and is the one to ask!

If your son lacks capacity, there is no chance of getting a loan in his name however, it is possible for the appointee to take a loan out in their name as long as the award length is equal to or longer than the loan length. We did this with Nationwide,  when my money was tied up in a no access portfolio

[Oscarmax]

Rich I have a Suzuki Across, 100% happy zero complaints. reliable and bulletproof, excellent economy both in EV 62/63 in the summer, around 40 in the winter, with a depleted battery we are still seeing 50/55 mpg.

 

Unfortunately I have suffered a brain injury and occasionally I get confused and often say the wrong thing.

[Author]

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