A statement from Disabled People Against the Cuts.

DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts) and Lincolnshire DPAC unequivocally condemn the Motability Scheme changes announced today, which have stripped the scheme of essential, practical vehicles and are being rolled out alongside a deeply damaging and factually incorrect media narrative.

The immediate removal of “premium” and non-UK built brands—including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Lexus—is a devastating blow to the independence and mobility of disabled people. Motability’s stated aim to “focus on essential, practical mobility” is a cynical façade, as these cuts have severely limited the availability of cars that meet the specific, non-negotiable needs of many disabled motorists.

Practical Needs Ignored: A Mobility Crisis in the Making

Our immediate review of the new Motability car list reveals a critical failure in the scheme: there are virtually no cars available under the nil or minimal Advance Payment option that provide the necessary combination of an automatic gearbox and sufficient boot space for an electric wheelchair or scooter.

• The Problem of Volume: For many disabled people, an electric wheelchair or scooter is not a convenience; it is a necessity for leaving the house. These items are bulky and require a large, unobstructed boot, typically found in larger SUVs, estates, or MPVs.
• The Automatic Necessity: A high proportion of Motability users require an automatic gearbox due to physical impairments that make clutch operation painful, unsafe, or impossible.
• The Price Trap: The removal of models from premium brands, which often included larger, higher-specification vehicles, has inadvertently cleared out many options for those requiring both automatic and large boot space without a prohibitive up-front cost. Disabled people are now being forced to choose between essential mobility needs and their ability to afford a car.

This is a crisis of mobility, not a crisis of luxury. A car is an essential adaptation, not a lifestyle choice. By removing the very vehicles that met these specific, practical needs within an affordable bracket, the Government and Motability Operations are directly responsible for trapping disabled people in their homes.

Taxpayer Cost Myth: Holding the Government Accountable for Misinformation

We are disgusted by the government’s tacit support and cultivation of a toxic media narrative suggesting that disabled people are unduly costing the taxpayer through “luxury” cars.

Fact Check:

• The Motability lease is funded by the individual’s own enhanced rate mobility component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA). This is not a ‘free’ car. It is an exchange of a benefit already awarded to cover the extra costs of disability.
• Where an individual chooses a more expensive vehicle requiring an Advance Payment, this excess cost is paid entirely by the individual from their own private funds, not by the taxpayer. As confirmed by reports today, the removal of premium cars will not save the Exchequer any money at all.
• The primary taxpayer cost associated with the scheme is the VAT and Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) relief afforded to the scheme. This relief is passed directly to the disabled customer to make mobility affordable. Reports suggest the Government is looking to remove this tax break, which would add thousands of pounds to the cost of even the cheapest vehicles, severely undermining the scheme’s entire purpose. This would impose a cost on the disabled person, not the scheme’s central funding.

The Government’s focus on a handful of premium-brand cars—which made up only around 5% of the 800,000 Motability fleet—is a politically motivated distraction to justify attacks on disability benefits while shifting the focus from the scheme’s financial structure. This is an attack on the dignity and autonomy of all disabled people.

Handling of Changes: A Failure in Communication

The lack of notice and clarity surrounding these changes has caused widespread panic and distress among disabled people. The vague explanations offered have done nothing to “alleviate worry” and have only served to feed the hostile public narrative that demonises disabled people as benefit abusers.

• The timing of the announcement, coinciding with speculation about broader cuts to disability support, feels deliberately engineered to cause maximum confusion and minimal time for essential re-planning by disabled users.
• We demand to see the official impact assessment that justifies these removals and addresses the resulting lack of choice for those needing automatic vehicles with large boot spaces.

DPAC Demands

DPAC calls upon the Government and Motability Operations to immediately:

1. Reinstate or provide equivalent alternatives for automatic vehicles with necessary large boot space under the nil or minimal Advance Payment options.
2. Stop the use of misleading rhetoric that falsely links the cost of an individual’s car choice to a burden on the taxpayer.
3. Commit to retaining the VAT and IPT exemption for the Motability Scheme to ensure it remains affordable and accessible for disabled people on low incomes.
4. Provide a clear, written, and detailed explanation of the full, immediate impact of these changes on vehicle availability, particularly for those with complex mobility needs.

Disability is not a burden. Motability is not a luxury. It is a lifeline that must be protected.