Motability - live within 5 miles for insurance

Having finally got a DLA high rate mobility award I have hit a hugh problem and wonder if anyone has any idea how I can proceed. My partner (and main carer lives 22 miles away) Motability have changed their rules and will not allow him to be a named driver on my new motability car, despite the fact that he is the person who takes me to ALL my appointments, accompanies me when I go out, and is the only person I go on holiday with. My sister who is my other prime carer lives 10 miles away and does a lot of fetching and carring for me and is also not able to be named on the insurance. The new rule is that named drivers have to live within 5 miles of my home. Whilst fully able to drive I also get very tired and suffer from acute anxiety. I do not go out on my own in case I start to feel too tired anxious or in too much pain to drive. I have chosen a car with seats that suit my back much better than my partners or sisters car (both of which I find very uncomfortable) and it is also able to transport my scooter, yet now in order to attend apointments or go anywhere in my motability car I have to be able to drive all the time. In reality this means I will hardly use the car as I can never predict how I will be even an hour later in the day. Has anyone any idea how I can challenge this decision as without these two people named on the insurance I will get very little benefit from a car that is considerably easier for me to travel in and also able to carry my scooter. Thanks

Jan wrote:

Having finally got a DLA high rate mobility award I have hit a hugh problem and wonder if anyone has any idea how I can proceed. My partner (and main carer lives 22 miles away) Motability have changed their rules and will not allow him to be a named driver on my new motability car, despite the fact that he is the person who takes me to ALL my appointments, accompanies me when I go out, and is the only person I go on holiday with. My sister who is my other prime carer lives 10 miles away and does a lot of fetching and carring for me and is also not able to be named on the insurance. The new rule is that named drivers have to live within 5 miles of my home. Whilst fully able to drive I also get very tired and suffer from acute anxiety. I do not go out on my own in case I start to feel too tired anxious or in too much pain to drive. I have chosen a car with seats that suit my back much better than my partners or sisters car (both of which I find very uncomfortable) and it is also able to transport my scooter, yet now in order to attend apointments or go anywhere in my motability car I have to be able to drive all the time. In reality this means I will hardly use the car as I can never predict how I will be even an hour later in the day. Has anyone any idea how I can challenge this decision as without these two people named on the insurance I will get very little benefit from a car that is considerably easier for me to travel in and also able to carry my scooter. Thanks

Hi J,

May I draw your attention to this extract :

Our policy regarding nominated drivers is that they should live at or within five miles of your address. We will, however, consider requests to include drivers outside of this range where this is essential to support your mobility needs. In these cases, we will require additional information to be provided at the time of application or renewal.

From the Motability Website, here :

www.motability.co.uk/main.cfm?type=NI&ObjectId=2779

bro58

thanks bro58

I had read that too. So I went ahead and ordered the car and then telephoned them yesterday and was on the phone for almost an hour(and never even got around to addressing the issue of my sister). I was told they will put people on for a short period of time occasionally but not on a regular basis or repeatedly for the same reason, and when I insisted that I wanted to appeal their decision they suggested my partner should drive me everywhere in his car and put me on his insurance in order I could drive myself or that I should use the DLA to lease a car privately and not use the motability scheme! I was told they would advance my request but there really was no chance that my situation would meet their criteria. This is why I have posted this because I am so confused and don't know which way to turn. Crazily my son who is at Uni can be a named driver as this is his home adress, even though most of the time he is not here

Jan wrote:

thanks bro58

I had read that too. So I went ahead and ordered the car and then telephoned them yesterday and was on the phone for almost an hour(and never even got around to addressing the issue of my sister). I was told they will put people on for a short period of time occasionally but not on a regular basis or repeatedly for the same reason, and when I insisted that I wanted to appeal their decision they suggested my partner should drive me everywhere in his car and put me on his insurance in order I could drive myself or that I should use the DLA to lease a car privately and not use the motability scheme! I was told they would advance my request but there really was no chance that my situation would meet their criteria. This is why I have posted this because I am so confused and don't know which way to turn. Crazily my son who is at Uni can be a named driver as this is his home adress, even though most of the time he is not here

Hi J,

I can't really give any more constructive advice.

It may well be worth putting your request in writing to Motability, to make it official.

Information given over the phone is only as good as the person at the other end, giving said information.

It may well be worth asking what the "Additional Information" is that they say they may require.

Could be worth a try, and nothing to lose.

bro58

Hi Jan,
i am in a similar situation.
My son is my main carer,he is with me 35 hours a week and claims carers allowance for this.
He is my named driver on my motability car and has been for the past 3 years.
I am in the process of changing my car,it is due for renewal next month,
i contacted Motability and have been told they will consider each application for a named driver living more than 5 miles away individually.
I got the impression that because my son is also my carer and receives an allowance for being so,he will be allowed to remain on my motability car insurance.
By the way he lives 15 miles from my home.I will keep you informed of the out come.
Good Luck with your enquiry at Motabilty.
Jackie.