Disabled people have defended the use of so-called ‘luxury’ cars after the government announced they would be cut from the motability scheme.
The government announced that premium cars including Mercedes, Audi and BMW models would no longer be offered by the scheme just before the November Budget.
Paul Turner, 50, from west Yorkshire, has cerebral palsy and says the scheme is a “lifeline” but reducing the options for vehicles is “very, very unfair.”
The Motability scheme leases vehicles to disabled people on some mobility benefits, including the highest level of Personal Independent Payment (PIP). With rising numbers of people becoming eligible in recent years, Motability now supports over 890,000 people.
Mr Turner uses a wheelchair to get around due to the lack of mobility he has in his legs. He works part time as a checkout assistant at a supermarket and receives the higher rate of PIP, which makes him eligible for Motability.
Mr Turner currently leases a car with the scheme, but his deal ends in July 2026, so he has begun to consider his options and start saving for the advance payments and adaptations he will likely need to make to get a suitable vehicle.
He says that having a Motability car has made it possible for him to work and get out as his area has poor public transport links.
‘I’d be stuck in my house without it’
“You know, with that, with if I didn’t have this car, I wouldn’t be able to do things – I’d be stuck in doors 24/7. And that’s not me exaggerating, I’m being realistic here,” he told The i Paper.
Turner says that it “infuriates” him, especially as someone who works and pays taxes, that people misunderstand the Motability scheme and think that he is entitles to “freebies.”
“I know, quite a few disabled people that are working and just feel like, I’m paying these taxes, paying my way, getting out, doing my bit for society. But then we feel targeted,” he said.
He thinks that the government are unfairly restricting disabled people’s options by removing premium cars from the Motability lineup.
Mr Turner added: “I think it’s unfairly reducing disabled people’s options because, if that disabled person is working and they can afford the advance payment for what the government call luxury cars then they should have that choice to be able to have that car.
Paul Turner uses the scheme in order to continue working as a checkout assistant at a supermarket“If I went to a dealership and got my car through with finance, I’d be able to choose whatever car I wanted. Basically, the Motability scheme is a leasing scheme for disabled people to be able to live their life how they want – and for them to have the choices of cars reduced is very, very unfair.”
Mr Turner also accused the government of being too vague about what a ‘luxury’ car actually is and failing to recognise that the premium cars on the scheme were typically the less expensive models.
‘What do they class as a luxury?’
He added: “What do they class as luxury? They haven’t explained what the class in as luxury. Why not ban luxury cars for everyone? Why just target the mobility scheme?
“People are saying, oh, well, they’re getting these expensive luxury cars. No, there wasn’t the expensive luxury cars. There was the cheaper end of what they call luxury cars.”
Cars are paid for out of disabled people’s benefits. Those in receipt of PIP can use some or all of their £300 monthly mobility money to lease a car through the Motability scheme. But some upfront payments – ranging from a few hundred to several thousands of pounds – are usually also required.
They can also pay for adaptations to make the cars more accessible, which may be covered by a means-tested grant, or may be covered by the disabled person themselves.
There were about 50,000 premium vehicles available to lease on the scheme before this point.
Some disabled people have claimed that the removal of these models from the scheme is arbitrary and simply a response to political pressure from those who think the scheme is being used by those who do not need it, such as people with conditions like Autism and ADHD.
It has also been reported that disabled drivers who use blue badges are facing “terrifying” levels of threats, verbal abuse and violent attacks.
Kittie Brown, 26, from Preston, lives with Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder which affects her connective tissues and muscles causing her joints to dislocate, as well as limiting her energy levels. She uses a wheelchair to get around.
Kittie Brown suffers from Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder and is unable to drive without modificationsMs Brown is currently looking for a new car on the Motabiltiy scheme with a large enough boot to fit her wheelchair. She will also need adaptations so that she can use the pedals with her knees as she cannot control her feet.
She said that the cars she was looking at from premium brands were typically those with larger and more accessible boots.
Ms Brown said: “To me, a luxury vehicle would be like Porsche or McLaren that literally focus on high-speed performance vehicles.
“But the overall brand itself, like Audi, BMW, Mercedes – they all do standard day-to-day cars as well. So why have they removed these cars? There was nothing special about them, there was nothing luxury about them. It was literally just the brand names that people don’t like.”
Ms Brown has been shopping for a Motability car and was considering the option of a VW model and a very similar Audi car.
‘The changes have now made it harder for people like me’
The only significant difference between the cars was that the VW had a lip on the boot, which made it impossible to fit Brown’s wheelchair. But the Audi model has now been removed from the scheme due to the Government’s ban, leaving Brown unsure of her next move.
She said that the Government’s changes had now “actually made it harder” for those that relied on the Motability scheme.
She said: “Because for me now, rather than getting just a midsized vehicle that’s got that boot space, I’m going to have to get some massive vehicle with all the space that I don’t need.
“We’ve had to fight for every single benefit that is available for us to be able to go out and do things. Why are they targeting our schemes?”
Ms Brown says certain car makes aren’t luxury but have additional elements, such as boot space, for her wheelchairBrown feels let down by the government. She thinks that they have failed to adequately defend the legitimate reasons that these ‘luxury’ cars were on the scheme to begin with, leading to an illogical ban on some makes.
“You sort of feel like these changes have been put in place by the government because they feel under pressure to please pressure groups,” she said.
It is thought the luxury cars on the scheme account for about 5 per cent of the 800,000 Motability cars.
The changes to Motability come amid a tightening on benefits claims with the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasting that spending on health-related benefits will increase from £65bn to more than £100bn in 2030.
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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) revealed there would be a package of reforms in December 2025, aiming to save the Government £1.9bn by the end of 2030-31, including on PIP.
A DWP spokesperson said: “We’re ensuring disabled people can access vehicles through Motability while saving the taxpayer £1bn over five years.
“Fully accessible and wheelchair accessible vehicles will continue to be available through the scheme, and customers will still be able to lease a car with just their qualifying disability benefit.”
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