Disabled campaigners are set to fulfill with the CEO of Motability Operations, after calling out how the programme of proposed changes to the scheme will profoundly affect disabled individuals’s lives.
In a letter despatched to Motability Operations CEO Andrew Miller on 31 March, Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), voices how it’s “appalled at some of the planned restrictions on Motability leases”.
DPAC informed Miller in its letter how it’s “being inundated with concerns” from its members and supporters.
It says this already reveals the “level of fear” the deliberate changes are inflicting for disabled individuals.
Linda Burnip, co-founder of DPAC, informed DNS on Monday (6 April) that in response to the letter, Miller has agreed to fulfill with campaigners.
She mentioned: “We’re pleased to say Andrew Miller has offered to meet with us to explain why they are planning to bring in these changes which would effectively rob disabled people of any independence if implemented and possibly explain why Motability feel they should bring in changes that support a right wing Reform agenda.”
The letter warns that the upcoming halving of the mileage allowance to 10,000 miles a yr may forestall disabled individuals attending to “life-saving medical appointments” as a result of it successfully limits journey to 27 miles a day on common.
DPAC factors out that for disabled individuals living in rural places poorly served by public transport, “independent transport” enabled by the scheme is a “lifeline”.
The DPO underscores that “People with specific disabilities often have to travel to hospitals far away for their treatments and they can’t get the necessary treatments locally.”
The letter additionally flagged how corresponding alarming changes to the scheme will create obstacles to disabled individuals living independently, main full social lives, and accessing employment.
It says that the mileage restrict would “force” disabled people to “choose between maintaining employment and staying within mileage limits”.
And it says that this could have the impact of “pushing some out of work altogether.”
But, it highlights that the 25p per mile extra mileage cost for new leases would “compound the issue” additional.
Towards the top of March, the Motability Scheme announced this five-fold extra mileage cost improve alongside the halved mileage restrict for new leases.
Motability Operations, the corporate that operates the scheme, said this was “as part of wider steps to manage rising costs, including tax changes from the UK Government.”
During its Autumn funds in November, chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that the federal government would impose 20 per cent VAT on advance funds for scheme leases.
In tandem with this, the federal government would additionally take away the scheme’s 12 per cent insurance coverage premium tax (IPT) exemption.
Motability Operations previously confirmed to Disability News Service (DNS) that these VAT measures alone would improve the superior price of a three-year lease by a minimal of £3,000 for disabled individuals accessing the scheme.
This can be on prime of disabled claimants already contributing their enhanced mobility element of non-public independence cost (PIP) to pay for leases.
New leases for automobiles with “significant adaptations” for wheelchair and stretcher customers are exempt from the tax changes.
But in its letter, DPAC factors out that the brand new 25p extra mileage cost may moreover run into the lots of, if not hundreds of kilos throughout the course of a lease and make journey to work, healthcare, and social occasions unaffordable for many disabled individuals.
DPAC says this “places a price on independence” and that the price acts “as a penalty for living a full and necessary life.”
The DPO additionally raises “particular concern” over Motability’s roll-out of its black field system that displays the driving of disabled individuals leasing automobiles by means of the scheme.
In August final yr (2025), it launched its Drive Smart scheme – making black field fittings obligatory for drivers beneath 30 leasing Motability automobiles.
The system and accompanying cell app measures sure driving metrics, monitoring driver habits like velocity, braking, and distances travelled.
It additionally displays what number of instances drivers utilise their automobiles – and whether or not they drive for over an hour with out taking relaxation breaks.
This knowledge then confers a weekly pink, amber, or inexperienced score.
Motability can take away drivers from the scheme in the event that they rack up two consecutive pink weeks, or 4 over the course of the yr, and bar them from future entry.
From 13 April, it is bringing this in for all these taking out a first lease by means of the scheme.
But the letter from DPAC questions what number of of those ‘red flags’ would truly work in observe and if they might the truth is encourage protected driving.
The group says that a pink flag for driving after 10pm acts as a curfew that may penalise disabled individuals working in industries that “often require people to work at late times.”
The letter additionally highlights how this shuts disabled individuals out from collaborating in full social lives, asking how they’ll “go to the theatre, or cinema if their vehicle can’t be driven after 10pm?”
And it questions how a driver is supposed to cease after an hour in the event that they discover themselves someplace they “can’t just suddenly pull over and stop safely”, reminiscent of in site visitors, on twin carriageways, and motorways.
DPAC warns that the risk that Motability may repossess the automobile based mostly on pink weekly driving scores “would be enormously and continually stressful for disabled people and likely to exacerbate any existing Mental and Physical Health issues.”
A spokesperson for Motability Operations mentioned:
“We recognise how vital the Motability Scheme is in supporting disabled individuals’s independence, and we perceive that a few of these changes have precipitated concern. We have responded to the letter from Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC).
“We are making changes following the UK authorities Budget announcement in November about new taxes for the Motability Scheme, which might imply a median £1,100 improve to lease costs from July. We know the way vital a automobile is for our clients to reside independently, which is why we’ve made changes to new leases from July to scale back the rise to £400 on common. Existing leases aren’t affected. We’re have responded to the letter from Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) and would welcome a possibility to fulfill and focus on the changes to the Motability Scheme.
The spokesperson added: “Changing the mileage allowance of future leases lowers insurance coverage and upkeep prices and will increase the automobile’s resale price, which reduces the price of a lease. Around 3 in 4 individuals who use the Scheme journey inside the mileage allowance from July. We perceive that, in some circumstances, individuals might have to drive greater than the mileage allowance. Any extra mileage is charged at a fee that displays the true price of upper use, together with upkeep, insurance coverage and put on and tear. We can be introducing an exceptions course of for very restricted conditions earlier than July.
“Separate to the changes announced in response to the Budget, we also want to reduce the rising cost of insurance on the Scheme. The Motability Scheme operates a shared insurance model, and managing these costs is essential to keeping it affordable and fair. Drive Smart is one of the ways we are tackling rising insurance costs. It uses industry-standard telematics technology to provide feedback on driving behaviour – such as acceleration and breaking – helping to support safer driving and reduce accidents. We are focusing the introduction of Drive Smart on customer groups where data shows accident rates are higher, including drivers under 30 – an approach that is now standard across most fleet insurance programmes.”
