Mobility cars: Your complete guide

Finding out whether you qualify for a mobility car before choosing the best model with adaptations tailored to your needs can be bewildering. Here's everything you really need to know.

• Could you qualify for a mobility car?
• Find out how to apply for one that suits you
• Adaptations and conversions explained

Mobility cars are vehicles that help disabled people to travel and live their lives more independently and easily.

For some, this may be a car without any adaptations while for others modifications or conversions may be required. These changes could be as straightforward as moving the pedal positions or replacing them with hand-operated controls as well as more radical re-engineering, such as making the car accessible from a wheelchair.

Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs) feature additional equipment to make it easier for disabled drivers to get into and out of the driver’s seat or have access ramps and a revised cabin layout so a wheelchair user can travel safely in the vehicle while still in their chair.

What is Personal Independence Payment (PIP)?

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a state benefit that helps with the additional costs of living with a long-term disability or illness. It is assessed by a health professional according to individuals' needs and is regularly reviewed to reflect any changes in the recipient’s condition.

The amount of PIP received depends on how someone's disability or illness affects their life more broadly rather than just concentrating upon the condition itself.

PIP is gradually replacing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for anyone over the age of 16 or those born after 8 April 1948. Anyone currently receiving PIP will not be able to continue claiming it when they reach the State Pension Age

PIP can be applied for and granted regardless of whether or not a person already receives other benefits such as Employment Benefit or Support Allowance.

As it isn't means tested, any savings or income a person has do not affect their eligibility to claim PIP.

How much does a mobility car cost?

Cars leased through Motability use some or all of the claimant's mobility allowance to fund the lease payment. There are hundreds of different cars available through the scheme, so people can choose which one which suits them best, with their allowance being paid directly from the government to Motability.

If the weekly lease price is less than the total allowance, the difference will be paid to the claimant by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or Veterans UK. This can all be arranged via a Motability-approved dealer or directly with Motability itself.

Even if the weekly lease cost rises during the lease period, existing lease agreements remain unaltered.

Also included with Motability's lease costs are all servicing and MoT costs, breakdown cover and insurance for up to three named drivers, all of whom must live at the same address.

Where the the cost of a car exceeds the claimant's weekly allowance, Motability will take a one-off advance payment to cover the difference. After that, all of the mobility allowance will be paid directly to Motability.

All Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs) require an advance payment due to the high cost of the re-engineering work, although choosing a used WAV can reduce this significantly. WAV lease deals through Motability run for five years.

Just as with arranging a finance any car, factory fitted optional extras will increase the Motability weekly lease cost but many adaptations tailored for a disabled driver's needs, such as minor pedal alterations and indicator and wiper stalk extensions, do not incur additional fees.

Note that any necessary adaptations that might only become apparent post-delivery have to be paid for separately.

Which types of cars are available through Motability?

There is a wide variety available through Motability although most focus is given to cars that are straightforward to drive and are inherently easier to access.

As a result, the vast majority of cars available to lease via Motability have automatic transmissions with taller styles of bodywork, as is typically found with SUVs and van-based people carriers. Not only do they allow for easier entry and exit, they tend to have more space available for stowing wheelchairs.

However, not everyone leasing a Motability car requires such a degree of space or may simply prefer driving a manual, hence why over 2000 different make and model combinations are available.

Does Motability lease electric cars?

Yes, fully electric cars can be leased through Motability and can make for a great choice given how easy they are to drive. Also, with fewer mechanical components, making tailored adaptations to suit different drivers' needs is also more straightforward.

Motability's package also includes either a home wallbox for clients with their own driveway or garage or a BP Pulse account for those where that's not a possibility. Whichever option the customer chooses, additionally they will receive a Motability Go charge card giving access to over 45,000 other public charge points, but not at any discounted prices.

While using faster public charging facilities is an option, especially on longer excursions, the unfortunate truth is access to these, particularly passing between cars when moving between the charger and plugging the car in, is often unacceptably poor, especially for wheelchair users.

More forethought from the companies involved in the installation is required as is a tightening-up of specific accessibility legislation.

Which are the best WAVs?

There are two main options when choosing a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV). The first is to lease through Motability, which has a choice of new or nearly new models with all of the conversion work already completed. This is a no-hassle way to get hold of a WAV, with the flexibility to tailor it to specific needs.

The other option is to have an existing vehicle converted, assuming it’s suitable for the intended purpose.

Converting a car to a WAV is a specialist task to make sure the vehicle meets the required safety standards. The vehicle will need to meet Low Volume Type Approval (LVTA) or pass an Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) test which adds to the cost of the conversion.

Prices for conversion work vary depending on the type of adaptations needed and you will need to choose whether you want side or rear access and whether it’s a drive-from-wheelchair conversion.

An much less expensive alternative is to opt for a powered lift system to raise the wheelchair user and chair into the car. This is a more compact option and gives a wider choice of cars to pick from.

The most well-known WAV convertors are:

• Automotive Group
• Brotherwood
• GM Coachwork
• Gowrings Versa Mobility
• Lewis Reed

What to look for when buying a used mobility car

By far the most important factor when considering a used mobility car is that it suits your needs or the person who will be driven about in it. Many mobility cars will have adaptations fitted that were specific to the original driver, such as hand controls, an easy-release parking brake or extended seat runners to make entry and exit easier. Some of the adaptations may suit you, others could be a hindrance.

Used cars that have previously been leased through Motability are usually very well cared for as the lease deal includes all servicing, maintenance and tyre replacement. However, the usual used car checks still apply, so check the car's condition and service record tally witch each other.

Ensure you take a test drive to be confident that the car fits the requirements of your disability or the disabled person it's for.

If you're buying a nearly new WAV then be aware that not all models will be available through Motability. Those that are, will come with a three-year, 60,000-mile lease deal rather than the five-year, 100,000-mile deal for new ones. However, most nearly new WAVs require a much smaller advance payment or none at all.

Can I hire a mobility car?

There are several companies that provide mobility vehicle hire, offering everything from small hatchbacks all the way to large minibuses with wheelchair access.

Hiring a mobility vehicle is a cost-effective option if you only need it for a short period, such as being on holiday. Most companies offer daily, weekly and monthly rates for vehicles with hand controls or wheelchair access. There are also longer lease deals for up to 12 months available from many companies.

Recognising that many disabled people may find it harder to come to a vehicle hire centre, most mobility hire companies offer a drop-off and collection service. As with any hire or lease agreement, make sure you know what is included and excluded from the deal before signing up.

Can mobility cars be driven for personal use?

This depends entirely who is asking. 

If the disabled person leasing the car through Motability is the one driving it, then unequivocally yes they can — they're perfectly entitled to drive it as much or as little as they wish to.

For any other named driver in the same household, the car can be driven providing the journey in some way relates to the disabled person benefiting from it, even if they aren't in the vehicle. This could include using the car for grocery shopping or picking up other family members or friends to bring them to the home address for a visit.

A named driver using the Motability car purely for their own benefit is not permitted.

Can an existing car be traded-in for a mobility vehicle?

Yes, it can. Motability allows for already owned cars to be part-exchanged for one of its newly leased vehicles. Depending on its value, this could also be used to cover part or the whole of any required advanced payment.

Do your homework in advance, though, as not all Motability-approved dealers off this function, in which case you would have to sell the old car by some other means.