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I was wondering if anyone here has any experience with the MB Grants complaints. and taking it any further (If thats possible?)
I’ve essentially received what they’re saying is a final, ‘final’ decision, so I’m pretty un willing to deal with them again if I’m honest with how they’ve been through the entire process. (A huge majority of advisors I’ve spoken to have been incredibly rude, demeaning etc)
It’s been months of headaches, gathering evidence for them to either ignore it all together, or respond with an ignorant message about EV cars (Despite me not mentioning EV in any of the issues I found) – infact, quite literally every single response i’ve had has been about the government switching etc etc.
I’ll be happy to go into it further, however long story short they’re telling me the grant is enough for something suitable for my needs – despite me sending evidence the cars they have suggested aren’t, and the cars I’ve found suitable being way out of the grant award & my allowance.
I’ve spoken to so many dealerships who have said they’ve had customers come in complaining lately about the grants team, and the huge stick up their back end they have at the moment regarding EV cars.
I’m at my wits end with it all now, and could really do with some help/support if possible.
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I was wondering if anyone here has any experience with the MB Grants complaints. and taking it any further (If thats possible?) I’ve essentially received what they’re saying is a final, ‘final’ decision, so I’m pretty un willing to deal with them again if I’m honest with how they’ve been through the entire process. (A huge majority of advisors I’ve spoken to have been incredibly rude, demeaning etc) It’s been months of headaches, gathering evidence for them to either ignore it all together, or respond with an ignorant message about EV cars (Despite me not mentioning EV in any of the issues I found) – infact, quite literally every single response i’ve had has been about the government switching etc etc. I’ll be happy to go into it further, however long story short they’re telling me the grant is enough for something suitable for my needs – despite me sending evidence the cars they have suggested aren’t, and the cars I’ve found suitable being way out of the grant award & my allowance. I’ve spoken to so many dealerships who have said they’ve had customers come in complaining lately about the grants team, and the huge stick up their back end they have at the moment regarding EV cars. I’m at my wits end with it all now, and could really do with some help/support if possible.
Have you fully exhausted the Motability Foundation’s Complaints process?
https://www.motabilityfoundation.org.uk/contact-us/motability-foundation-complaint-process/
If so, as grants are controlled by the Motability Foundation which is a Registered Charity, any external complaint, such as that the charity is not doing what it claims to do, is to the Charity Commission (unlike Motability Operations who are regulated by the FCA and thus complaints about Motability Operations are dealt with by the Financial Ombudsman Service).
For Charity complaints, see the following Gov.UK page:
https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-charity
However there is a process that must be gone through, which does involve a formal complaint to the charity itself:
https://forms.charitycommission.gov.uk/raising-concerns/
Be warned though, from personal experience as a Trustee of a charity, complaints about charities made to the Charity Commission can take (very) many months, often years to resolve.
You could try a last ditch personal plea to the CEO of the Motability Foundation, Nigel Fletcher:
nigel.fletcher@motabilityfoundation.org.uk
Another way around, maybe to approach any other charities you have an affinity with to see if they can help you. You may find they may be more flexible than the Motability Foundation with funding etc.
I agree that they shouldn’t be forcing EVs down people’s throats. They are great for some people but completely impractical for others.
However, and I appreciate that this may be an unpopular view, but I’m glad that they are quite restrictive on what they allow grants wise and insist on the cheapest car that matches ‘needs’, rather than what people ‘want’. Those of us who pay our APs in full are, by default, subsidising those who receive grants, so it’s absolutely correct that they apply a degree of scrutiny to this, although there so no excuse for rudeness or making those applying for grants feel uncomfortable.
I hope that you get a satisfactory resolution.
Unfortunately in the future the majority of Mobility car will be either EV, PHEV and hybrids.
Unfortunately I have suffered a brain injury and occasionally I get confused and often say the wrong thing.
I agree with @Glos_guy. Mrs Joe had a grant when she was younger and not working. Our last car had a £1000 AP, we worked out Motability would have made a profit on our Ulez compliant low mileage estate of around £2-3k. That profit would have been passed to the grants team. I’m very pleased disabled people who need help get it, just like Mrs Joe did. But it should for a car that’s suitable not necessarily a car someone desires. This keeps AP’s down for all scheme users.
I was wondering if anyone here has any experience with the MB Grants complaints. and taking it any further (If thats possible?) I’ve essentially received what they’re saying is a final, ‘final’ decision, so I’m pretty un willing to deal with them again if I’m honest with how they’ve been through the entire process. (A huge majority of advisors I’ve spoken to have been incredibly rude, demeaning etc) It’s been months of headaches, gathering evidence for them to either ignore it all together, or respond with an ignorant message about EV cars (Despite me not mentioning EV in any of the issues I found) – infact, quite literally every single response i’ve had has been about the government switching etc etc. I’ll be happy to go into it further, however long story short they’re telling me the grant is enough for something suitable for my needs – despite me sending evidence the cars they have suggested aren’t, and the cars I’ve found suitable being way out of the grant award & my allowance. I’ve spoken to so many dealerships who have said they’ve had customers come in complaining lately about the grants team, and the huge stick up their back end they have at the moment regarding EV cars. I’m at my wits end with it all now, and could really do with some help/support if possible.
I have viewed your other post, they have offered you a grant of £749, however the vehicle you are look at has a £2,699 AP, is this the issue ?
Unfortunately I have suffered a brain injury and occasionally I get confused and often say the wrong thing.
im sorry but your not subsiding the grants by paying a ap , the money paid out in grants is made from the profits which come from everyone , the ap is paid direct to manufacturer not Motability
im sorry but your not subsiding the grants by paying a ap , the money paid out in grants is made from the profits which come from everyone , the ap is paid direct to manufacturer not Motability
That’s not really correct. Motability make a profit on each and every lease – that’s how they make the profit that subsidises the grants. It therefore follows that if there were no grants, scheme costs could be lower for everyone. I’m not advocating scrapping grants, but it’s just a simple fact of how a business works. We are all ultimately paying for the grants.
Partly yes, my preferable choice of car had an AP of £2,699 (It’s since gone up). There are several other cars I’m happy with, all of which are out of the allowance I can use the grant for (Starting at £1,499, my award will only allow me to go up to roughly £1120)
A huge part of my problem now however, is how my whole application etc has been handled. 9/10 of my responses have been generic emails/letters about how they want people to go EV – completley ignoring points I put across about the suitability of the cars they have offered. I’d been and looked at all the cars put forward to me, when I’d contacted initially to say they aren’t suitable, I was told to go back and take pictures of myself and my family in the cars to prove to them there isn’t enough room etc. I felt an absoloute tool going back to do so, but we did. I’d composed another email, with the pictures and reitterated the other issues I found, to get a response on how they don’t take fuel into consideration (shock horror). This was the start of whats been a lengthy complaints process. I’ve not once had a call back that’s been promised, or recieved any of the letters they allegedly sent out.
Not only that, there was one advisor who spoke to me like I was filth, I won’t go much into it, but she quite literally belittled me and ridiculed my situation. The response I’ve had from the complaints team completley ignored this fact (I’ve had 2 final emails, one was about how I’d put the complaint in about fuel type, I hadn’t, the second was literally a ‘take it or leave it’ response, telling me I can take this no further)
Unless I literally could not physically get into the only car on the scheme that I could afford I would not apply for a grant but perhaps that’s just me.
I am sorry but viewing your posting we have only your side of the situation and very little information to go on, but you are somehow expecting us to agree with you. You basically been offered a means tested grant, however the vehicle you want is more than the grant, they have asked you for some more evidence to enable them to review your grant, this basically has cause you some sort of issue, because you can’t get what you want you are throwing your toys out the pram, you have only made two separate posting both comparing about the scheme.
Unfortunately I have suffered a brain injury and occasionally I get confused and often say the wrong thing.
Well, I am sorry to hear that you have been made to feel belittled etc., I would not find that acceptable either. When you turn to a supporting organisation for support, it is reasonable to expect just that, support.
Regardless of process and outcome, you should be treated with dignity and feel supported. Even if Motability have to give you news you don’t want to hear, it should be done with respect.
I hope the communication improves for you.
Skoda Enyaq Race Blue
What more information would you like? Shall I start posting the correspondence I’ve had from the grants people?.
yes you’re right, it’s caused me an issue. I was asked to go back to each and every dealership to take pictures of myself and my family in the cars, providing a list of evidence as to why the cars they suggested aren’t suitable. Their response to that email – the same letter about EV when I’d previously queried why they’d only sent me a list of EV cars when I’d first applied. Not a single point I’d made about each cars suitability was addressed, (none were to do with EV, apart from the Mazda MX30 and its abysmal range). I sent an email following this asking if they’re going to look at the actual points I’d made, I received no response then. So I called asking if they’d seen the email, and got the same letter as before. So I’ve put a complaint in about how I’ve been repeatedly ignored, despite being made to go around showrooms making myself feel an absolute clown, which is apparently all for naught as they’re not interested in doing anything to help. “Throwing my toys out the pram” because I’m not getting my own way? I’ve always paid the AP on my car myself, as you’ve read all my previous threads I’m sure you’ll understand – my current car has a now x6 times higher AP than what I paid 3 years ago. I’m simply trying to get a car that meets my needs, and so far, as I’ve said in this thread, they are all 1500+.
yes, I’ve made posts complaining about the Motability grants foundation (not the scheme) – again, like me and many others at the moment, they aren’t being helpful, they’re being quite the opposite if anything. Like I’ve said, my main point now is who do I contact about the way I’ve been treated through this whole process.
I don’t claim to understand the grants process as we’ve never applied for one, but I think the issue that those of us who pay our APs in full sometimes struggle to understand is when grant applicants say that they need financial support from the scheme (that ultimately the rest of us subsidise) but then say that they want a car that requires them to pay several thousand pounds more. I guess there’s an obvious argument that if people can afford to do that, they shouldn’t need assistance and they should use the money that they have to get a more modest car than they might otherwise like, addressing needs not wants.
I know that Motability are really pushing EVs (presumably due to the massive deals that they are probably getting from manufacturers, given that private buyers aren’t embracing them in anywhere near the numbers required to achieve the ludicrous targets), but the APs of many EVs are still quite high and, as previously mentioned, aren’t practical for everyone, so I’m at a loss as to why the grants team are pushing these when there may be more suitable (and potentially cheaper) ICE cars. I’d be asking them that if I was in this situation.
Some of what you are being asked to do does sound ludicrous and there is no excuse for rudeness. Whilst I don’t agree with a number of things that Motability do (or don’t do), I have to say that I have never encountered anything other than polite and helpful staff. I wonder if it’s worth calling the general helpline (rather than the grants team) and ask how you might go about complaining about how you are being treated? They are a very KPI driven call centre and are assessed on how they deal with customers, so I’m sure if you can get hold of the right person you might get allocated a different case worker who will be more helpful and less confrontational.
I agree. I’ve seen a lot of posts around where people are clearly trying to just get what they want from them. What doesn’t make sense to me is why a £28/£30k car has a £3/£4k AP, yet a lot of these electric cars are starting at £40k-£50k and have no AP (I suppose it makes sense in the sense they want people to have an EV) – which I’m really not against them, if I had the means to charge one I’d get an EV car, especially given the far cheaper running costs I’d have. But after looking into the logistics of owning one with my current circumstances, it’ll just be an utter headache and have a fairly big impact on how I’m able to utilise having a car.
There’s plenty of cars available to me on the scheme (a few I was looking at that now have much higher APs after this quarters prices) but they’re literally just out of the grant allowance.
Like I’ve said, my main point now is who do I contact about the way I’ve been treated through this whole process.
Sorry, but since I posted my first response yesterday evening, you seem to have moved the goal posts slightly.
If your complaint is about the incivility of Mobility Foundation staffers, then that is a straightforward complaint, preferably by letter to Motability Foundation.
However, other than probably an acknowledgement of your complaint, do not expect to receive any outcome in relation to individual staff. That is a matter for Motability Foundation’s internal processes and procedures.
If you do receive anything subsequently, it will probably be that ‘a process of internal training has been identified and reviewed’ or something equally non commital. That will be case closed.
If complaining about the process of the Foundation in awarding grants, , the redress process is as I posted at:
Post: #290654
Whether or not you will be successful, who knows. However do take emotion out of the complaint. List the facts clearly and concisely.
Be prepared to collect and collate a tome of factual evidence to both justify and support taking the complaint forward to the Charity Commission. Thus having professional/legal help would probably be advisable.
Remember the complaint will not be about you, but about the process.
As I understand it with grants is, you are offered an award amount (£x), along with a catagory (size) of vehicle they are willing to fund and a short list of vehicle’s them deem suitable for your needs. This forms the basis of your needs. You can choose any vehicle in the catorgory you were awarded, which doesn’t need to be on the list up to the value of the award plus 50% from your own funds if needed.
the grants team dont look at the price they look at your need as a disabled person . just the disabled person your family circumstances dont come into it as the car is for the disabled person so if any of the reasons for a different car is anything but disability they will ignore it as thats what i got told of a very helpful person in the grants team when mobility used to do it
just a thought do u have to drive auto only as i get a grant as i have to use auto only but im not sure if that just war pension mobility supplement but it comes through mobility . thats up to 620 towards it depending on car maybe a grant like that with nvp and good condition bonus get you to where you need to be on the 1500 ones just a thought
the grants team dont look at the price they look at your need as a disabled person . just the disabled person your family circumstances dont come into it as the car is for the disabled person so if any of the reasons for a different car is anything but disability they will ignore it as thats what i got told of a very helpful person in the grants team when mobility used to do it
That seems like a daft restriction, as many Motability cars will be the only car within a household and therefore it needs to meet the needs of that family. A disabled person surely needs to be able to go out with their family?
the grants team dont look at the price they look at your need as a disabled person . just the disabled person your family circumstances dont come into it as the car is for the disabled person so if any of the reasons for a different car is anything but disability they will ignore it as thats what i got told of a very helpful person in the grants team when mobility used to do it
That seems like a daft restriction, as many Motability cars will be the only car within a household and therefore it needs to meet the needs of that family. A disabled person surely needs to be able to go out with their family?
They will take your immediate family into consideration, along with the needs of the driver ~(if its not the disabled person driving) and any external care givers.
doesnt matter the award is for the disabled person not the family . if the person is the driver of course if not then different ball game
Dacia Jogger 7 seat AP £0 – £1395 Petrol and Petrol Hybrid
Unfortunately I have suffered a brain injury and occasionally I get confused and often say the wrong thing.
As I understand it with grants is, you are offered an award amount (£x), along with a catagory (size) of vehicle they are willing to fund and a short list of vehicle’s them deem suitable for your needs. This forms the basis of your needs. You can choose any vehicle in the catorgory you were awarded, which doesn’t need to be on the list up to the value of the award plus 50% from your own funds if needed.
The amount you are able to contribute towards an advance payment is limited to £750 or 50% of the award, whichever is the least.
From Motability Foundation FAQs section:
“The majority of beneficiaries will not choose to make any contribution on top of their Advance Payment grant, however, if you choose to order a vehicle that costs more than the agreed grant award, then we may contact you to better understand your requirements.
If you choose to make a voluntary contribution towards your Advance Payment grant, there are limits within our policy. Grant applicants can add up to £750 or 50% of the Advance Payment grant, whichever is the least.”
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