Number of disabled motorists falls by 80,000 in two years
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1.26 million now receive a disability exemption from vehicle tax, compared to 1.35 million in 2015
The number of disabled motorists has fallen by nearly 80,000 in two years. Figures show a 6 per cent drop in disabled people receiving an exemption from vehicle tax since 2015, with 1.267 million people now registered.
While there is no evidence that any one cause is behind the drop, the figures prompted fresh criticism of Government reforms to disability benefits. The data, from the Motability charity, echo other statistics that show a fall in people being eligible to claim personal independence payments (PIP). 59,000 disabled motorists have lost their eligibility for an adapted vehicle since the switch from disability living allowance (DLA) to PIP in 2013.
Figures released after a written parliamentary question from Labour MP Peter Dowd show 1,266,523 disabled people received an exemption from vehicle tax as of February this year, compared to 1,345,446 in February 2015. People can claim the exemption if they receive the higher rate of the mobility component of either PIP or DLA, or specific benefits for injured armed forces veterans.
Read more: Number of disabled motorists falls 80,000 in two years
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I would not dispute those figures, in fact I think they are a low estimate.
Another major factor for me personally is that although entitled to a car through the scheme, I can’t afford the extra car insurance rates that all the insurers insist on – sometimes 50% extra. (Are disabled drivers really that dangerous on the road ?)
I refuse to jump through the hoops and beg like a dog for a bus pass so I just muddle through homebound ocassionally using the 3 hourly bus service (Tory cuts) to the city.
It’s because the DWP have taken the qualifying benefits away from disabled people. Part of government policy. Many posts on Facebook from disabled people detailing the various spurious reasons. Britain is heading back to barbarism – either that, or it’s already there.
Hi Mike, Just to add that the blue badge scheme also has a hidden nasty just in case it hasn’t happened to you yet. They asked for my pips award letter and seeing as it could have contained a lot of personal information I declined. In the end via C.A.B. they accepted a photocopy of the paragraph pertaining to walking as it had my national insurance number on it and the award could be confirmed. I asked why they need the details about my ability to wash, dress, toilet, and feed myself for a parking pass…its ludicrous. I did write the department a polite letter asking how they would feel if ALL of their personal details were available to anyone in that office that has the password for this scheme…..As yet I have not had a reply but I do have my blue badge which now covers 3 years and cost me £10, this is the 1st time we have had to pay in Devon. Arguing the toss got a result so never give in and please carry on your vital service as it is a lifeline in these hideous times. Sincere thanks for all of your hard work
Helen Maddock
Blue Badge Owner
Atos surviver
Pips surviver
Probably accounted for by the deaths caused by IDS’s changes to welfare benefits.
The final tranche of lifetime DLA recipients are being moved onto PIP right now (actually
an “indefinite award”). These are the older ones and the really long term degenerative illnesses. They even include people within 6 months of getting their DLA continuation frozen aged 64, in preparation for getting their pension. That is another slap for the Waspi women who lose DLA/PIP and be forced engage with the ESA system for the final two years to survive.
It is another measure of the misery, life destroying changes, inflicted. It is another 80,000 reduced in large part to solitary confinement and for far too many unemployment too.
I recorded my last PIP “assessment” and the more I listen to the recording, the more I’m convinced that ATOS have adapted a pressure selling technique that someone tried to teach me in the 1980’s, to manipulate claimants into over estimating their ability. The idea is to follow a scripted sales presentation, and keep repeating the same question until you steer your “punter” into broadly agreementing with what you are saying, once you’ve got that far you’ve made the sale. With my assessment it was the assessors insistance on getting me to say how many “minutes” I could walk for. He started by saying “We find that people are better at judging time rather than distance; so, for how many minutes can you walk? I told him I was much better at judging distance and not good with time. He ignored this and asked me another 7 times how many minutes I could walk for; like a fool I was sucked in and said, “I don’t know, a couple I suppose”. It wasn’t until I listened to the recording that I realised he had “planted” the word minutes in my head; I’d normally use the word minute to mean a short period of time, as in “I won’t be a minute”. I don’t know many people who’d say, I’ll be 23 seconds.
I worked it out, a person walking at an average speed of 5kph could cover about 84 metres in a minute.
this lot have quietly culled the stock denied benefits to those who need them while they say helping those who need it hmmm don’t make me laugh