A group of leading charities has urged the government to rethink looming cuts to the Motability scheme as experts warn of the negative impact they will have on disabled people.
Convened by Transport for All and backed by Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan, 70 organisations have written to disability minister Sir Stephen Timms asking him to engage with disabled people on the changes to fully understand the impact they will have.
Signatories including Disability Rights UK, Amnesty International UK, and the Trussell Trust write: “Motability is a vital scheme, and these cuts will create further barriers for disabled people, including those with long-term and progressive conditions to access employment, education, medical appointments and to live independently.
“We urge the government to engage urgently with disabled people and with deaf and disabled people’s organisations along with other organisations working with disabled people to understand the real-world impact of these policy changes.”
The Motability programme enables people with serious disabilities to get a car by using a portion of their benefits to pay for a lease. It is open to people that claim a qualifying mobility allowance, most commonly through the Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
The scheme has been around in some form since 1977, but has come under increased scrutiny in recent years following a sudden spike in customers. The number of people with a Motability car has risen by around 130,000 since 2023, reaching an estimated 890,000 this year
Changes to the scheme announced in November last year will see VAT charged on upfront payments for some users and tax increased on leases, saving the government an estimated £1 billion over five years. Premium vehicles like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which make up five per cent of the Motability fleet, have also been removed.
Analysis has found that the changes will add an average of £400 to the upfront fees for Motability users, a move that will “negatively impact disabled people,” Transport for All says.
One of the group’s members, who is a Motability user, said: “I had a spinal infection which has left my back weakened and painful, that means reaching up and pulling down a tailgate can be horrendously painful.
“Seats need to be comfortable or the cars of no use to me. Typically, that requires electric adjustment of the seats. There are times when twisting can be painful so 360-degree cameras and reversing aides can be essential.
“For me, and thousands like me, these changes will mean we will be left either without transportation or with an old and much less reliable car.”
Sophia Kleanthous, senior campaigns and public affairs officer for Transport for All says: “The government says that disabled people will not be worse off. But our members are telling us a different story.
For many of us, a Motability car means having control over how we live our lives. When public transport is inaccessible, it’s often the only reliable way to get to work, to a hospital appointment, or to see friends and family.
Good policy starts with listening. When decisions about disabled people’s lives are made without us, we are the ones who live with the consequences. Sir Stephen Timms has the power to listen, to look at the evidence and to protect our access. We’re asking him to do exactly that.”
A spokesperson for the Motability Foundation, which oversees the scheme, said: “We share the coalition’s concerns around the tax changes to the scheme and that anything that impacts disabled peoples’ ability to travel is a step backwards in achieving transport accessibility and equity for disabled people.
“The reality is that these costs will either be passed onto disabled people as price increases, accommodated through changes to the scheme proposition, or a combination of both.
“We are working hard to minimise price increases for customers and have been engaging with Motability Scheme customers about the impact of how the scheme’s proposition may change.”
A DWP spokesperson said: “Supporting disabled people will always be our top priority.
“Motability customers will still be able to lease a car with just their qualifying disability benefit, and there will still be cars available through the scheme which require no advance payment.
“We’re reforming Motability to save the taxpayer £1bn over five years and put money back in people’s pockets.”
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