How to apply for a Motability car

Wondering if you’re eligible for a Motability car and how to apply for one? Our guide’s got you covered

The Motability scheme is a charitable endeavour that sees people in receipt of certain disability benefits sacrifice a portion of those benefits to fund a car.

This guide will talk you through what criteria you need to meet in order to qualify for the scheme, and how to go about applying for a Motability car. Our in-depth guide to the scheme itself is worth reading if you’d like more background information.

Check you’re eligible for Motability

Our in-depth guide to Motability eligibility goes into this topic in more detail, but broadly speaking in order to get a Motability car you need to be in receipt of one of the following state benefits:

• Higher rate mobility part of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• ar Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement (WPMS)
• Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP)

These payments range from around £70 to £80 a week, with these funds being deducted automatically and sent to the Motability scheme, which arranges for the money to pay for the vehicle’s lease.

Start your online Motability application

You don’t have to have a driving licence to apply for a Motability car: you can choose up to two people to drive the vehicle on your behalf.

Before you begin to apply for a Motability car you must have at least 12 months left before your benefit ends – your decision letter should make it clear if you meet this requirement.

Next, you’ll need to go to Motability’s website and create an account, then follow the online application process. You can browse available cars online, but note more expensive models require an ‘Advanced Payment’ that you will need to make yourself – although grants are available from Motability to help with this. We’ve put together a rundown of 10 great cars available via Motability, and a separate guide to cars with no Advanced Payment.

Visit a Motability car dealership

Roughly 100 new-car dealers are signed up to the Motability scheme, and you can browse these via Motability’s locator tool.

When you’ve decided what car you’d like, your next step should be to speak to a dealer, who can walk you through the process; most big dealers have dedicated Motability salespeople, partly to reflect the fact that over one in 10 new cars in the UK is supplied via the scheme.

You can start the application process online, with the dealer completing it for you. You’ll need to bring your passport or driving licence as proof of identity, plus your National Insurance number or Customer Reference Number (CRN). If you’re applying for other people to drive a Motability car on your behalf, you will need to provide a ‘driver declaration’ form signed by them, which states they will only use the car for your benefit, amongst other things.

How long it takes to get your vehicle will depend on supply times from the manufacturer – note that some firms are still experiencing production delays.

Insurance, breakdown cover and servicing are all included in the Motability scheme, and you can get a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle instead of a conventional car.