50,000 disabled drivers have lost cars after benefits clamp-down ~ station of gear

Motability drivers are losing their cars at the rate of 900 per week after a change in the eligibility assessment proceedure.

2017-04-12 12:00

Over 50,000 disabled drivers have had their car taken away by the authorities since new disability benefits laws were introduced in 2013.

The latest figures from the Motability charity show 51,000 people have been removed from the scheme after it replaced the disability allowance (DLA) system for people aged 16 to 64 with the controversial personal independent payment (PIP) system in 2013 which has different standards to determine eligibility.

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The charity Muscular Dystrophy UK said 900 cars are taken away from disabled owners every week as they are rejected for PIP. According to the organisation, the number of people eligible for Motability has halved from 254,200 to 127,900 since PIP launched in 2013.

MPs and campaigners are now demanding changes to the Motability programme so that vehicles aren’t taken away before owners have the chance to at least appeal the decision.

Of the 51,000 repossessions, Motability has had to overturn more than 3,000 who have successfully appealed. The Department for Work and Pensions has said that only a fraction of PIP decisions are overturned, and those who are taken off Motability are eligible for £2,000 of financial support.

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Conservative MP Peter Bone, one of the campaigners for fairer disabled rights said: “You need it for mobility purposes and maybe you use it for work, but because you lose your PIP award you lose the car at the same time.

"You appeal against the PIP decision and ultimately the tribunal awards you back the PIP, but you've already lost the car and maybe your job because of it."

Labour MP Angela Eagle said: "What's happening in the worst cases is, from being mobile and being able to get out and about in a car, that's been removed and this may mean people have had their ability to live their life at taken away, and some of them are left housebound."

Have you had your Motability car taken away? Tell us about it in the comments section below...

Martin Saarinen

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