How Motability cuts went from a rightwing online campaign to Rachel Reeves’s budget
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/29/how-motability-cuts-went-from-a-rightwing-online-campaign-to-rachel-reevess-budget
Posted by 457655676
How Motability cuts went from a rightwing online campaign to Rachel Reeves’s budget
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/29/how-motability-cuts-went-from-a-rightwing-online-campaign-to-rachel-reevess-budget
Posted by 457655676
18 Comments
One thing is for sure, this government thinks Twitter represents some latent mass of opinions in the public sphere.
I don’t know for sure that Twitter doesn’t represent the public. But if it does, they may as well give it all up now. Because if Twitter represents the public, then we’re about to witness some WW2 style shenanigans. Won’t matter what car you can get on Motability then.
Well after seeing a post on legal advice about a student who wanted to use their notability car but this was back at home because it was the ‘family’ car, and having some family absolutely taking the piss with the scheme, I’m fairly sure an awful lot of shenanigans are going on. An awful lot. Given that it’s costing over 3 billion a year and around 1 in 5 new cars are motibility I’m not surprised in the least. It is something that needs looking into deeply as I’ve a terrible suspicion that an awful lot of ppl don’t have a genuine need but game the system. Personally I’d tie the insurance to the claimant, they’ve got to be in the car or driving it otherwise it’s uninsured. Banning luxury cars is a good 1st step but the whole thing needs an audit, monitoring and enforcement for abuse.
We should all thank max tempers on X. Turns out you can just do things even as a random on the Internet. It’s his little crusade that ended up causing this changed
It’s a shame as my mum was severely disabled and it really helped her a lot.
As the article states, it’s funded by their own benefits and contributions anyway it’s not ‘free’ in the sense that people assume.
That said, my mum always had a Renault, not a BMW or Mercedes, I assume those would have been much more expensive even with the subsidies.
That’s what they are really going with? Only 80% of the BMW was paid for by the taxpayer, the other 20% was from the claimant, who for what it’s worth, could be a millionaire. So anyone who thought it was ‘free’ are aschtually wrong and brainwashed by the far right!
solution seems simple so there are probably a million reasons why I am wrong – have a specific range of models that are modified to meet a spectrum of needs, let people buy those models only – call it the DWP special or something.
40% of new cars sold last year in Northern Ireland where through motability.
I live here and it’s an extremely popular scheme, the motor trade absolutely love it. Certain cars here are unusually cheap like a 3 year old Kia Sportage or Nissan Quasqai, but they carry a stigma of being a “DLA car”.
Even if it isn’t being exploited then clearly the entry criteria is too wide and we have lost sight of what it is there for.
It is the great example of where people who don’t adhere to a social contract can drive a coach and horse through our laws and benefit systems.
It’s not exactly right wing to say that we shouldn’t be helping financing expensive cars and giving people free maintainence of them.
If someone needs a vehicle because of a disability I would expect that A) a small hatchback runner to the shops B) a large shitbox vehicle with a tall roof or C) a fully adapted accessible vehicle would be sufficient. A 25 reg BMW or Merc is none of those.
Does not matter if they helped pay £1000s towards it. We, the tax payer, paid the VAT of expensive mercs and BMWs and paid the servicing and insurance and replacement of parts (often unrealible cars) of these vehicles. It’s madness.
Don’t get why you would set up a scheme like this and not limit it to cars manufactured in the UK.
It amazes me how some benefits seem incredibly easy to get yet others are near impossible, I know people who claim attendants allowance at 5.5k a year who clearly don’t need it but they got it no questions asked. I also know other people who are in dire situations who can’t get any level of PIP, the system is broken.
I’ve got Crohn’s, I work and all I want is a rail card because train travel has obvious benefits over driving in my situation but I can’t have one because I don’t qualify for a government financial benefit. On top of that I will be on drugs for life and have to pay for my prescriptions yet my wife gets thyroid drugs free for some reason. It’s all fucked up if you ask me.
As someone that’s dealt directly with motability on several fronts. It is genuinely, jaw dropping how little people have correct on this. Like, an absurd amount.
I understand entirely how Reform have managed to sweep the nation when even the bleeding heart lefty liberal space of Reddit can’t be fucked doing 5 minutes of googling.
After reading some of the comments around this topic, I propose we stick a massive MOBILITY VEHICLE decal on the sides with flashing lights and a big speaker that shouts UNCLEAN! every 5 seconds or so.
I researched motability cars due to a family member being offered one, the first thing that came to mind was this is a giant waste of public money. There were a couple of options that stuck out as borderline laughable such as the Abarth version of the Fiat 500, why a bloody hot hatch and not a sensible run around Fiat spec 500?? Instead of cheaper spec Citroen cars it was DS top spec models with luxury quilted leather seats. The options immediately gave off a vibe of being an extremely inefficient use of public funds. I’m all for the scheme but I believe in responsible allocation of the funds.
Reality is known for having a strong rightwing bias apparently
It went from right wing shitposters to the Labour budget because it turned out the right wing shitposters were entirely correct.
Isn’t this how a democracy is supposed to work?
I considered getting a car via the motability scheme (for some of that fun and awesome chronic pain) but always felt like I didn’t properly need it so just got a standard company car. Also cause motability cars are all godawful.
I have seen family members I know don’t need accessible cara get them so I don’t know, maybe it works out somehow.
We finally got a Motability vehicle this year.
First of all, you have to put a deposit down. It was around £5000 for us. It took us years of saving and the death of a family member to be able to afford the deposit.
It’s a special Peugeot with wheelchair access at the back. My brother’s mobility part of PIP goes to pay for it.
It’s changed my family’s life. We live in a rural area and the new car has allowed us to take our disabled brother out, to make it to appointments easier. To take my brother out even when it’s pissing it down.