I’ve spent a year waiting for my Motability car – it’s taken away my independence

Sara Stacey, 40, says all she wants is her independence back after months of waiting for her Motability vehicle to be returned. From Essex, Sara is a full-time wheelchair user. She has used the Motability scheme since she was a teenager after being born with muscular dystrophy. Sara, who works as a diversity and inclusion officer, relies on a wheelchair accessible vehicle to provide her with a level of independence, something that has now been taken away. “I now need a vehicle where I can drive my wheelchair straight into it. In my current van I have to transfer from my wheelchair into the seat but due to pain in my muscles I can’t do that anymore,” she explained. Sara was supposed to get her new vehicle in January this year after being eligible to order it in October 2025, but was told she couldn’t until she had an assessment to drive with hand controls. Shorts She said: “They thought I would only have to wait a few weeks to have [the assessment] but I didn’t end up taking it until April this year.” What is the Motability Scheme? Disabled people who receive certain government benefits, like PIP, can choose to use their allowance to lease a Motability Scheme vehicle. Insurance, breakdown cover, servicing and maintenance are all included in the price. Since then, Sara has had to go back and forth with the scheme providing all sorts of paperwork which has taken until now to complete. She added: “Motability came to see me this week and have brought a new vehicle for me to test out. I have been told that it is going to be another six months before I actually get my vehicle. By the time it arrives I would have been waiting a year since I first started the process.” Sara said the delays have impacted her relationship with her husband as they are unable to go out much. She lives in a flat with a balcony she can’t access due to a step so she now spends a lot more time indoors. “My mum is the only one who can drive my van. Everything has to be planned.” Sara was advised to apply for a grant through the Motability Foundation, an independent charity, as the hand controls she needs can cost tens of thousands of pounds. As part of the application, Motability review their household income to work out how much they think someone can contribute towards the adaptations and then they cover the remaining cost. “The advanced payment, without the adaptions, start at £27,995.” She doesn’t know exactly how much the grant will cover as they don’t know the full amount yet. Sara also receives the motability element of the personal independence payment (PIP) which is currently going towards a car she doesn’t use. What is PIP? PIP is a type of benefit that eligible people can claim to help them with extra living costs if: they have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability they have difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of their condition PIP is made up of two parts The “daily living component” is for the extra help you need with everyday tasks. The “mobility component” is for the extra help you need getting around. She said: “The £64.50 a week of my PIP benefit is going to waste so I am losing out on benefits that I could be using for other things while my car is sitting out there.” Sara is on the highest level of PIP, receiving £458 a month on top of the separate £64.50 a week payment that goes towards her motability vehicle. She says she had a bad experience with PIP after her payments were reduced in 2018, having to take legal action against the DWP to get her full payments reinstated. In her assessment, she said she couldn’t stand up from a seated position without help but could get out of her car, at the time. Because of this, she says, she was denied help. “I also said that I needed help with dressing, however, if it was a really baggy t-shirt I was putting on, it was fine. They told me I could just wear a baggy t-shirt to work. They reduced the amount of my PIP benefit. I took it to a tribunal and had to wait a year but I won,” Sara said. Sara said there are many other inflated costs she must pay as a result of her disability. “I have to use pre-prepared vegetables and meats because I don’t have the muscle strength to chop things up so my food bill costs more.” Her food bill comes to about £150 a week but she has been able to access discounts through money-saving platform Purpl. Having an electric wheelchair and an overnight ventilator means Sara’s electricity bills are also high – costing £75 a month while her gas costs £51 a month. “Due to my rear wheelchair ramp, I’ve often been unable to use on-street parking as I need sufficient space. So paying for parking is a considerable cost. I went to the hospital yesterday and it cost me £40,” she added. Sara says she doesn’t care what vehicle she gets as long as she can go out to work and spend time wither her husband and family. A DWP spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear about Sara’s negative experience. “The Timms Review Interim Report is clear that PIP is no longer fit for purpose, and the final recommendations due this autumn will lay the foundation for deep, sustainable reform. “Supporting disabled people will always be our top priority and we are in regular discussions with Motability Foundation about the scheme.” A spokesperson from Motability Operations, the company that runs the Motability Scheme, said: “The Motability Scheme helps disabled people maintain their freedom and independence, including leasing highly specialised drive from wheelchair vehicles. “Before these vehicles can be delivered, they go through several stages to ensure they are safe and suitable for each customer’s needs. Because every vehicle is individually tailored, this process can take longer than other scheme vehicles. We work closely with our specialist partners throughout to help keep lead times as short as possible. “Sara’s case has continued to progress through these specialist stages, and we will continue working with our partners to support her until her new vehicle is ready.”