Motability and buying an adapted vehicle

Any household with a disabled member will be even more dependent on their car than the rest of the population - and the overwhelming majority of us seem to be pretty much hooked anyway, even without being Jeremy Clarkson-style petrolheads. Not surprising, then, that the motoring section of Independent Living is very popular with site visitors, and equally unsurprisingly, particularly in these tough time, we have had some comments lately about the funding of a converted vehicle, and some questions about the role of Motability in the way that prices have risen recently.

This is an extract from a letter from site visitor Mike Morley, who has just bought an adapted VW Touran:
"I looked at obtaining the car through Motability but I would have had to pay an advance payment of about £6,000. I decided to buy the car myself as I had one to trade in and the hand controls were fitted before I took delivery. I was able to get the whole purchase exempt of VAT under VAT Notice 701/59, so all I had to pay was £3,900 and I kept the mobility component of my Disability Living Allowance. Obviously not everyone's circumstances are the same but every angle is worth investigating."

Mike also went on to point out that, if the initial purchase of a vehicle is VAT-exempt, then any repair or servicing can also be zero rated. All the individual needs to do is complete a declaration about their disability and the use of the vehicle.

The Disabled Motorists Federation is also concerned that disabled drivers and carers are having to pay over the odds for adapted vehicles through Motability. Their chairman, Jim Wheelton, has written an open letter expressing his worries - here is an extract:
"The Renault Scenic was a very popular vehicle that used to have a down payment set at around £1000, this has now shot up to £3195, well beyond the pocket of most of the present disabled drivers of this vehicle"..... "Because Motability are a government sponsored charity many disabled people go to this scheme thinking that, since the government effectively fund it, it must be the best. In actual fact the rates work out at over 17% in most cases, more than many credit cards are charging."

We are in a position to speak to many people involved in the industry, and based on their feedback, have put together an overview of the adapted vehicle market. It is clear that there are some rather major problems currently, and the steps that Motability are taking to redress the imbalance caused by having supplied so many vehicles at no upfront cost - like hiking the deposit back up to several thousand pounds - will obviously have an impact on the ability of many families with a disabled member to afford a Motability car.

Though perhaps with 500 cars a day coming back to the organisation as their leases terminate, haunting the auction rooms could be a better route to a find a bargain...

You can share your experiences of buying or selling an adapted vehicle, or working in the industry in any capacity, by clicking the "Comments" link below.