They come in all shapes and sizes, with the tag wheelchair accessible vehicles usually shortened to WAV, which is certainly much less of a mouthful! But no matter what they’re called – disability cars, disabled cars, mobility cars, wheelchair cars – obtaining one is fairly easy these days, thanks to the Motability Car Scheme.
Wheelchair accessible vehicles
However, there’s a couple of matters to get out of the way first before thinking further about acquiring a WAV, unless you’ve got a ton of money, of course, and then you can simply buy one outright! But, with money being in such short supply these days, most of us are not in such a fortunate position.
In order to qualify for the Motability Car scheme, and thus get your hands on a brand new WAV through either leasing or by means of hire purchase, for example, you must be in receipt of the higher rate mobility component of the disability living allowance (DLA) or receive the war pensioners’ Mobility Supplement.
Then all you do is simply agree to turn a part of your DLA benefit – or even all of it – over to Motability in return for the vehicle of your choosing. There’s nothing more involved than that because all the paperwork is taken care of for you, too, and you don’t have to bother with assessments, credit checks or even tiresome waiting lists. What could be simpler?
You’d be forgiven for thinking it all sounds just a little bit too good to be true, especially considering all the ‘goodies’ which automatically come attached to the leasing package. But it’s all for real and probably the main reason why the majority of wheelchair users opt for leasing, and then carry on with the package year after year.
Best to check out Motability’s web site for all the latest up-to-date information. And while there, you’ll also be able to find the Motability car dealerships closest to where you live, too. Just call them up and away you go!
The worry-free leasing package includes more than 4,000 cars to choose from, several hundred of which require absolutely no up-front advance payment. Some of the more expensive vehicles, however, do require the non-refundable advance payment, which is paid to your car dealer in addition to the weekly mobility allowance.
The leasing package also comes with insurance, servicing and maintenance, full RAC breakdown assistance, annual tax disc, tyre and windscreen replacement, and a 60,000 mileage allowance over 3 years. Depending on your particular circumstances, you might need certain adaptations to the vehicle, for example, in order to help you to drive. Many of these adaptations are free.
Not being able to drive doesn’t bar wheelchair users from leasing wheelchair accessible vehicles. Instead, they can nominate up to two other people to do the driving for them. Pay a little bit extra and a third person can also be nominated.
And once the three-year leasing term comes to an end, simply transfer everything over to a new lease with another brand new car. Happy motoring!
