The Motability Scheme
The Motability Scheme helps people with a disability exchange their mobility allowance for a new car, mobility scooter or electric wheelchair.
See video: The Motability Scheme explained
The Motability Scheme provides an affordable, worry free way for people with disabilities to lease a car, scooter or powered wheelchair in exchange for the mobility allowance of their DLA/PIP. The Scheme is operated by Motability Operations Ltd. under contract to Motability, a registered charity.
Eligibility
To be eligible to join the Motability Scheme, you need to receive one of the following disability benefits and you must have at least 12 months’ award remaining (please note that the Attendance Allowance cannot be used to lease a car through the Scheme):
- Higher Rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Enhanced Rate mobility component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Child Disability Payment (Scotland) (CDP) Mobility part – enhanced rate. See: Motability – Child disability payment
- Adult Disability Payment (Scotland) (ADP) Mobility part – enhanced rate. See: Motability – Adult disability payment
- War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement (WPMS)
- Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP)
You can join the scheme and get mobile by exchanging your mobility allowance to lease a new car, scooter or powered wheelchair.
The process
You pick the brand new car, WAV, scooter or powered wheelchair of your choice from a huge range of all the latest makes and models, at a price that works for you. There are a large number of vehicles available on the scheme with no customer contribution but more expensive ones will require you to contribute towards the cost of the vehicle.
You decide who drives, you choose a dealership that’s convenient for you, and you get to pick a new car or scooter every three years. At the end of the three year lease you just return the vehicle and choose a new one.
Motability arrange the insurance, breakdown assistance, servicing and maintenance and everything is already included in the price you pay. The cost of basic adaptations (to help operate the driving controls, to assist getting in and out of the car or help you load your wheelchair/scooter into the car) is also included; more expensive adaptations will require a customer contribution towards the additional cost.
Motability takes care of everything; you just add fuel and go! It’s as simple as that.
Updated April 2023