Misuse of Motability Car - How Long To Investigate?

[Deleted User] · 12/04/13 - 21:05

Sometime last year my brother coerced my disabled Mother into getting a Motability car.

He said it would help her out and get her out and about again. She has severe rheumatoid arthritis and this would have been a god-send.

Sadly though, my brother is quite simply a c*** and I don't think had any intention of helping her. He is a bully and forced her into getting the car. We see him maybe three times a month. Recently he added his girlfriend to the named drivers, though we have not seen her since January.

I am my Mother's full-time carer and have pleaded with her to send back the car because not only is she not benefitting from the car, she is struggling to cope without the missing money (£200 a month does't seem much, but it is). I can't drive so I could not take over the car.

About six weeks ago I reported the misuse to the Motability scheme but so far, no action has been taken. How long does it take for them to investigate?

regbobsal · 12/04/13 - 21:11

Thiwibbib wrote: »

Sometime last year my brother coerced my disabled Mother into getting a Motability car.

He said it would help her out and get her out and about again. She has severe rheumatoid arthritis and this would have been a god-send.

Sadly though, my brother is quite simply a c*** and I don't think had any intention of helping her. He is a bully and forced her into getting the car. We see him maybe three times a month. Recently he added his girlfriend to the named drivers, though we have not seen her since January.

I am my Mother's full-time carer and have pleaded with her to send back the car because not only is she not benefitting from the car, she is struggling to cope without the missing money (£200 a month does't seem much, but it is). I can't drive so I could not take over the car.

About six weeks ago I reported the misuse to the Motability scheme but so far, no action has been taken. How long does it take for them to investigate?

Report the car as stolen.

mildredhubble · 12/04/13 - 21:16

regbobsal wrote: »

Report the car as stolen.

It's not stolen.

scottie2121 · 12/04/13 - 21:16

Thiwibbib wrote: »

Sometime last year my brother coerced my disabled Mother into getting a Motability car.

He said it would help her out and get her out and about again. She has severe rheumatoid arthritis and this would have been a god-send.

Sadly though, my brother is quite simply a c*** and I don't think had any intention of helping her. He is a bully and forced her into getting the car. We see him maybe three times a month. Recently he added his girlfriend to the named drivers, though we have not seen her since January.

I am my Mother's full-time carer and have pleaded with her to send back the car because not only is she not benefitting from the car, she is struggling to cope without the missing money (£200 a month does't seem much, but it is). I can't drive so I could not take over the car.

About six weeks ago I reported the misuse to the Motability scheme but so far, no action has been taken. How long does it take for them to investigate?

Presumably your mother agreed to applying for the Motability car and so I'm not sure what can actually be done. I understand you feel she has been pressured and used but my feeling is she's the one who's got to sort it out.

Having said that, it's probably time to chase this up and explain the situation to whoever runs the Motability scheme.

Does your mother know about your concerns and that you have contacted Motability?

BinCat · 12/04/13 - 21:22

Did she sign a contract for a certain length of time? That might be difficult to get out of.

Does your brother never take her out in it?:(

[Deleted User] · 12/04/13 - 21:39

scottie2121 wrote: »

Does your mother know about your concerns and that you have contacted Motability?

I've told her many times that she is the only one losing out. A lot of the time she is in so much pain practically everything falls on deaf ears. I've told her that something drastic has to be done but not that I've contacted them.

striing wrote: »

Can your mother stop paying the £200 a month?

Sadly the money comes out of her benefits automatically so it goes straight to the Motability scheme.

BinCat wrote: »

Does your brother never take her out in it?:(

She's been in the car once I think. That was when they returned from the showroom to pick up the car.

I think the only way to get out of the scheme and have the car sent back is for my Mother to call up but she wont because of the pain she's in but also she believes he's going to help her. Plus, if the car is sent back I know more than likely my brother will bully her into getting a car again sometime down the line. If he's reported as misusing the car then hopefully they should act on it and he'll be banned from signing up again.

BinCat · 12/04/13 - 22:02

How did you contact the mobility scheme to report him?

If you speak to somebody on the phone and explain what's going on (and ask for their name), surely they would do something?

[Deleted User] · 12/04/13 - 22:09

striing wrote: »

How long has your mother been unable to drive herself?

She has not driven since she was a teenager (she is 60 now). I don't think she'd ever be able to get behind a wheel ever again, but miracles do happen.

BinCat wrote: »

How did you contact the mobility scheme to report him?

They have a special form on their website just to report misuse of the car. I provided all of the details such as the car registration, make, etc and where the car is usually parked. I even gave my own details if they wanted more information.

Aneechik · 12/04/13 - 22:09

If he's reported as misusing the car then hopefully they should act on it and he'll be banned from signing up again.

She'll be the one they ban from the scheme, not him.

[Deleted User] · 12/04/13 - 22:35

striing wrote: »

I am confused also.

2shy2007 · 12/04/13 - 22:37

Your mother may be the one who gets into trouble though if you have reported it, she is the one who signed all of the paperwork and that she would make sure the car was used within the rules. She may be stopped from using it again and may even be investigated eventually as she is not using the scheme how it is supposed to be used.

It will be 3 years until the scheme will end,I think they only take a car back if the person dies . I tried to get out of the scheme 6 months after getting a car as I split with my BF and there was no one else to use the car, but I had to pay for another 2 and a half years for a car that just sat and rotted on my driveway.

Taglet · 12/04/13 - 23:07

Contact your local authority safeguarding adults team.....they should be able to give you some advice about what you can to.

[Deleted User] · 04/10/13 - 21:52

https://www.motability.co.uk/about-us/contact-us/report-misuse-form

Pull2Open · 04/10/13 - 22:12

The rules about the use of mobility cars do not restrict its use to be by the actual claimant nor does the claimant have to have direct use of the vehicle. An example of this is parents with a disabled child. Obviously the child cant drive but also, the child doesn't even ever have to ride in the vehicle, it could be simply for a parent to be able to get to and from work in order to bring in a salary that the disabled child will benefit from. The rules around mobility are extremely complex and messy, proving misuse may not be possible if the car was obtained for the son to use!

Edit: Just noticed its a bumped thread! :rolleyes:

albertd · 04/10/13 - 22:20

Thiwibbib wrote: »

I am confused also.

Striing was quoting from a posting you made in 2010 in this thread (post #25).

mred2000 · 04/10/13 - 22:30

6 month old thread alert, people!! Re-opened by someone linking to a page that the OP had already mentioned using anyway... :rolleyes:

albertd · 04/10/13 - 23:10

Pull2Open wrote: »

Just noticed its a bumped thread!

Oops - so it is!

DinkyDoo · 05/10/13 - 04:16

Pull2Open wrote: »

The rules about the use of mobility cars do not restrict its use to be by the actual claimant nor does the claimant have to have direct use of the vehicle. An example of this is parents with a disabled child. Obviously the child cant drive but also, the child doesn't even ever have to ride in the vehicle, it could be simply for a parent to be able to get to and from work in order to bring in a salary that the disabled child will benefit from. The rules around mobility are extremely complex and messy, proving misuse may not be possible if the car was obtained for the son to use!

Edit: Just noticed its a bumped thread! :rolleyes:

My mum has a car on motability and she is under the impression that only her husband can drive her about in it.

For example I couldn't take her out in the car. Her husband is under the impression he can only drive the car if she is in it or he is using it to do something that is of benefit to her - prescription collection etc.

SnrDev · 05/10/13 - 18:37

My in-laws have a motobility car. Unless things have changed there are no limitations of the sort that dinkydoc describes, and named drivers can be added to the insurance. If you think it through it would be bonkers to have a system that provides a car for people who qualify for one under the rules but then insist that they buy another car for general use. One of the sideline objectives of the scheme is (or was) to get rid of worn out old bangers and replace them modern safer cleaner cars.

Pull2Open · 05/10/13 - 18:40

DinkyDoo wrote: »

My mum has a car on motability and she is under the impression that only her husband can drive her about in it.

For example I couldn't take her out in the car. Her husband is under the impression he can only drive the car if she is in it or he is using it to do something that is of benefit to her - prescription collection etc.

I suppose if he is the only one insured to drive it then they are correct!

Hey there!

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Misuse of Motability Car - How Long To Investigate?

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